Noel O'Mahony

Noel O'Mahony (18 December 1939 – 30 May 2013) [1] was a former League of Ireland footballer and manager. As a player, he won the 1970–71 League of Ireland title with Cork Hibernians and as manager he won the 1992–93 League of Ireland Premier Division with Cork City.

Noel O'Mahony
Personal information
Full name Noel O'Mahony
Date of birth (1939-12-18)18 December 1939
Date of death 30 May 2013(2013-05-30) (aged 73)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Ballyphenane United
Tramore Athletic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
196x–1976 Cork Hibernians
1976–1977 Albert Rovers
Teams managed
1976–1977 Albert Rovers
1977–1978 → Cork Albert
1979–1980 → Cork Alberts
1980–1982 → Cork United
1983 Limerick
1985–1986 Newcastle West
1986 Cork City
1988–1992 Cork City
1993–1994 Cork City
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Family and early years

O'Mahony was the son of Nora and Timothy O'Mahony and he grew up on Pearse Road in the Ballyphehane district of Cork.[2] Two of his brothers were also League of Ireland footballers. Like Noel, Declan also played for Cork Hibernians while Pat played for Cork Celtic. Noel and Pat O'Mahony both attended Coláiste Chríost Rí where Noel initially played Gaelic football before switching to association football. As a schoolboy he played for Ballyphenane United and Tramore Athletic. Pat O'Mahony also played for Athletic. In 1956 Noel O'Mahony was selected as the inaugural Cork Schoolboy Player of the Year.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Playing career

Cork Hibernians

During the 1960s and 1970s O'Mahony played for Cork Hibernians. Together with Miah Dennehy, John Herrick, Gerry Coyne and Dinny Allen, he was a prominent member of a successful Hibernians team managed by Dave Bacuzzi.[10][11][12] He was invariably described as a "hard player", a "(take) no prisoners... centre-half" and as a "tough, no-nonsense defender". While playing for Hibernians, O'Mahony helped the club win the 1970–71 League of Ireland title, two FAI Cups in 1971–72 and 1972–73 and the Blaxnit Cup in 1971–72.[1][3][4][5][6] His brother Declan also played as a goalkeeper for Hibernians and featured in the 1972–73 FAI Cup final.[13][12] O'Mahony also served as team captain [14] and played for Hibernians in Europe, including in a 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup tie against Valencia.[15]

Manager

Albert Rovers

At the end of the 1975–76 season, Cork Hibernians resigned from the League of Ireland. The 1976–77 season saw them replaced by Albert Rovers with O'Mahony serving as their player-manager. O'Mahony subsequently remained in charge of Albert Rovers for most of their stay in the League of Ireland under their various guises as Cork Albert, Cork Alberts and Cork United.[16][17][18] The highlight of his time with Alberts was guiding the club to the 1977–78 League of Ireland Cup final which they lost to Dundalk.[19][20]

Limerick

During the 1980s County Limerick had two clubs, Limerick and Newcastle West, playing in the League of Ireland for the first time and O'Mahony managed both clubs during the course of the decade. In 1983–84 he was briefly in charge during a turbulent time for Limerick as rival factions within the club went to the High Court to decide who owned the rights to the club's name.[21] O'Mahony also served as manager of Newcastle West.[3][4][5][6]

Cork City

During the 1980s and 1990s O'Mahony had three spells in charge of Cork City. He was briefly in charge in 1986 before he was succeeded by Eamon O'Keefe. He was reappointed for the 1988–89 season and O'Mahony subsequently guided the club to eighth place in the league. Cork City also reached the FAI Cup final but lost to Derry City. However, because Derry City were Premier Division champions, Cork City qualified for the 1989–90 European Cup Winners' Cup. This was the first time Cork City qualified for Europe. In 1990–91 after finishing second in the Premier Division, Cork City qualified for the 1991–92 UEFA Cup. In the first round they held Bayern Munich to a 1–1 draw at Musgrave Park before eventually losing the tie 3–1 on aggregate. In 1992–93, with a team that included Phil Harrington, John Caulfield, Pat Morley, Paul Bannon, Gerry McCabe and Dave Barry, O'Mahony guided Cork City to their first Premier Division title after a series of three-way play-offs that also involved Bohemians and Shelbourne.[22][23][24][1][4][5][6] Damien Richardson briefly took over from O'Mahony at the start of the 1993–94 but O'Mahony was re-appointed manager before the season ended. O'Mahony then became the only manager to win the League of Ireland Cup without getting the team to the final.[19][20]

Death and obituaries

O'Mahony died peacefully on 30 May 2013 at Cork University Hospital. He was survived by his wife Noreen, partner Ann, sisters and brothers. Two weeks prior to his death, he had attended a 20-year reunion of Cork City's 1992–93 Premier Division winning team. An obituary in the Irish Examiner remarked that O'Mahony had achieved success at three of Cork city's sports stadiums. As a player with Cork Hibernians he graced Páirc Uí Rinn when it was known as Flower Lodge. As a manager of Cork City he masterminded a draw with Bayern Munich at Musgrave Park and then won the Premier Division at Turners Cross.[1][2][4][5][6]

Honours

Player
Cork Hibernians

Manager
Cork City
Cork Albert

Source:[1][3][4][5][6][12]

References
  1. "Revered, talented footballer and former manager of Cork City". www.irishtimes.com. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  2. "The death has occurred of Noel O'Mahony". RIP.ie. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  3. "Former Cork City manager Noel O'Mahony dies, aged 73". www.rte.ie. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  4. "O'Mahony 'a true legend'". www.irishexaminer.com. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  5. "FAI pays tribute to Noel O'Mahony RIP". www.fai.ie. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  6. "Former Cork City manager Noel O'Mahony dies aged 73". www.the42.ie. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  7. "Coláiste Chríost Rí". www.corkpastandpresent.ie. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  8. "Welcome to Tramore Athletic F.C." www.tramoreafc.league.ie. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  9. "About Us – Welcome to Tramore Athletic F.C." www.tramoreafc.league.ie. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  10. "Cork Nostalgia – Soccer Glory Days". www.eveningecho.ie. 31 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  11. "League of Ireland – Cork Hibernians v Cork Celtic (match programme)" (PDF). www.corkpastandpresent.ie. 24 February 1974. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  12. Graham, Alex. Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921–2005. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-135-4.
  13. "League of Ireland – Cork Hibernians v Waterford F.C. (match programme)" (PDF). www.corkpastandpresent.ie. 11 March 1974. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  14. "Punches were flying at Lourdes Stadium melee". www.independent.ie. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  15. "Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – Cork Hibernians v Valencia (Spain) (match programme)" (PDF). www.corkpastandpresent.ie. 16 September 1970. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  16. "Sep 1977 – Soccer Reporter Tips Bohs for League". bionicbohs.wordpress.com. 3 September 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  17. "U.C.D v Cork United F.C. (match programme)" (PDF). www.corkpastandpresent.ie. 27 January 1980. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  18. "An Interview with Eddie O'Halloran". extratime.ie. 10 July 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  19. "It's in the game". leagueofirelandhistory.wordpress.com. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  20. "Stats v UCD & Derry". www.shamrockrovers.ie. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  21. "After 31 years, Limerick soccer returns to its spiritual home at Markets Field". www.irishexaminer.com. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  22. "Cork City v Bayern Munich". www.uefa.com. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  23. "Two Other Times Cork City And Dundalk Won The League In Dramatic Circumstances". www.balls.ie. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  24. "Long title wait for City ended in most dramatic fashion back in 1993". www.eveningecho.ie. 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
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