Dermot O'Neill

Who is Dermot O'Neill?

Dermot "Monkey" O'Neill was a football goalkeeper who played in the League of Ireland during the 1980s and 1990s.

Son of Robert who played for Shelbourne he was educated at Scoil Mhuir in Marino and Ard-Scoil Rís where he excelled at Gaelic football and even made it as far as the Dublin GAA minor team. But soccer was O'Neill's first love and he signed for Shamrock Rovers youth team where his brother Alan was the first choice goalkeeper. He also won 5 caps for the Irish youth team around this time.

He then moved to Jim McLaughlin's Dundalk team where he struggled to break into the first team but at Reserve level won 2 Reserve league titles. Those performances attracted Billy Young and O'Neill was soon on his way to Bohemians where he made his League of Ireland debut, alongside Paul Doolin at Sligo on 13 September 1981, keeping a clean sheet. He would stay at "Dalyer" for the rest of the decade, missing only 1 league game between 1981 and 1988. He was to make 6 appearances in European competition for Bohs against the likes of Rangers, Dundee United and Aberdeen.