Dolphin F.C. (Dublin)

Dolphin F.C. is a former Irish football club, originally based in the Dublin suburb of Dolphin's Barn. They played in the League of Ireland between 1930 and 1937. In 1935 they were league champions^[1]. They were one of several League of Ireland teams to play home games at Tolka Park.

History

Dolphins played in two successive FAI Cup finals in 1932 and 1933, losing both games to Shamrock Rovers^[2] Their 1932 team included a future dual Irish international, Alex Stevenson. On May 8, 1932, aged 19 and still playing for Dolphins, Stevenson made his international debut for the Irish Free State in a 2-0 away win against the Netherlands^[3][4] On his return from the Netherlands, he signed for Rangers^[5] and as part of the transfer deal Rangers played Dolphins in a friendly at Dalymount Park. In the 1933 FAI Cup final Dolphins held Rovers to a 3-3 draw before losing the replay 3-0.

Dolphins enjoyed their most successful season in 1934-35, when they won both the League of Ireland title^[1] and the Dublin City Cup^[6] In the same season they also finished as runners up in the League of Ireland Shield^[7] and reached the semi-final of the FAI Cup. In 1934 and 1935 Joe Kendrick also made three international appearances for the Irish Free State while playing for Dolphins. On February 25, 1934 he was a member of the Free State team that made it’s World Cup debut in a qualifier against Belgium. Two months later in another qualifier on April 8, 1934, Kendrick also played for the Free State in a 5-2 defeat against the Netherlands. He made his last ever international appearance, once again, against the Netherlands, in a 5-3 defeat on December 8, 1935^[8][9][10].

Despite finishing as league runners up in 1935-36, the following season, 1936–37, proved to be Dolphins last in the League of Ireland. They were replaced the following season by Limerick.

Honours

• League of Ireland
  • Winners 1934–35: 1
  • Runners Up 1935–36: 1
• Dublin City Cup
  • Winners 1934-35: 1
• FAI Cup
  • Runners Up 1932, 1933: 2
• League of Ireland Shield
  • Runners Up 1934-35: 1

Notable former players

• Joe Kendrick
• Jeremiah Robinson
• Alex Stevenson
• Alex Massie

References

1. ^ ^{a b} www.rsssf.com
2. ^ www.rsssf.com
3. ^ www.kickinmagazine.ie
4. ^ Northern Ireland’s Footballing Greats
5. ^ The Boys In Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan
6. ^ www.rsssf.com
7. ^ www.rsssf.com
8. ^ www.kickinmagazine.ie
9. ^ www.kickinmagazine.ie
10. ^ www.kickinmagazine.ie