Dublin City Sports Archive

Dublin City Sports Archive was established in 2010 by Dublin City Library and Archive to collect and preserve records from individuals, clubs, and communities which reflect Dublin’s rich sporting heritage.  Wish to donate archives? See more information about donating archives.

“Red Reminiscences” is an oral history project with Shelbourne football supporters and players. This Dublin City Sports Archive initiative provides a unique record of Shelbourne FC’s 115 year history from the fans’ and players’ perspective. Participants have been interviewed about their memories of Shels, both in domestic and European competition, and the excitement, thrills and disappointments of the past decades.

Add your Story:

Do you have stories or anecdotes regarding Shelbourne’s proud football tradition? Perhaps you have stories passed on to you by older friends or relatives? Your memories are history. Dublin City Archives wishes to collect and preserve them for future generations of Dubliners. Add your experiences by submitting your story using the submission form below or alternatively by e-mail to cityarchives@dublincity.ie.

Your submission can be as long or as short as you wish.

Please include the following information:-
Name – Email – Telephone – Your Story

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If you contribute a story to this site we ask you to give us your name and contact information. This is so that we can contact you in the event of a problem with your story and to record that you are the copyright owner of the story. We will not publish your name on the site without your express permission and we will not share the information you give us with any third party.

Brian Joyce’s Story

As a 5 year old my father brought me to see my first Shelbourne game. We travelled from Corrib Road in Terenure (my father working for Guinness and Corrib Road comprising “Guinness houses”). His father had been a “stoker” on steam ships and an avid “Reds Man”.

I travelled on the cross bar of my father’s bicycle to Milltown to see Shelbourne play Shamrock Rovers. The year was 1959. I do not recall the result of the game but I was hooked and knew from that day forth that “The Reds” were the good guys and “Rovers” were definitely the bad guys. Absolutely nothing has happened over the intervening years to make me change my mind.

The memories and coincidences since then have been astonishing.

Sean Fitzpatrick’s Memories

I am grateful to my Dad for many things and supporting Shelbourne F.C. is one of them.

The first time I actually saw Shels play was on Sunday December 3rd 1978 at Tolka Park against Shamrock Rovers. It was bitingly cold that day and the score was 0-0. In truth it was a really dreadful game. But most of the games I had seen up to then were on television. That day in 1978 I witnessed the real thing, more passionate, more enduring than any television images of Mario Kempes, Kenny Dalglish or Kevin Keegan. I was hooked.

More than thirty years later I still go to Tolka Park. My Father still comes too. It is not always easy to be a Shels supporter. The Reds have had a higher proportion of tragedies than Eastenders, Coronation Street and Fair City put together. We have had good times too, thirteen League titles, seven FAI Cups and countless European adventures. Shels has worked wonders for my European geographical awareness.

Chris’s Story

Born in 1937, Chris Sands is a life-long supporter of Shels. He talks about the early history of Shels from its foundation in 1895 as a “Dockers team”, club rivalry with Shamrock Rovers in the 1940’s, the failure to purchase Shelbourne Park, and attending the Olympic Dancehall after matches. He also talks about his involvement with Shelbourne Supporters Development Group in recent years and his views on Ollie Byrne.

Listen here or Download Audio (mp3) [file size: 30.1 MB. Right-click, save as…]

Transcript

Project Name: Shelbourne FC Oral History Project: Phase 1

David Kelly’s Story

David Kelly has been supporting Shels since the late 1960s. As a youngster, only a few of his classmates followed soccer as he went to a fee-paying school which was steeped in rugby tradition. He recalls matches at different grounds from Dalymount to Bray to Dundalk, and the football chants which used to be sung. David also talks about the different players he admired and also on different styles of management of Shels managers over the decades including Dermot Keely and Ollie Byrne.

Listen here or Download Audio (mp3) 

Transcript

Project Name: Shelbourne FC Oral History Project: Phase 1