THE CALL CAME in the 74th minute. Jimmy Dunne was finally about to become a senior Ireland international. The moment felt a long time coming for a player who had represented his country at U21 level back in 2018.
“It’s been a long week watching the lads train, sitting on the bench for the first game, as time has gone on, I’ve felt ‘I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m real eager to get on now,” said Dunne, speaking after Ireland’s 2-1 defeat of Bulgaria last night.
“By the time I came on, it was just focus on the game like any other one. Maybe later I’ll be even more chuffed about it.
My mum is in the stand crying her eyes out, one of the best days of her life, so I’m sure when I come home and have a cup of tea around the table it will all sink in.”
Dunne’s mother, Sharon, would also have been thinking about her late husband, Eamonn, who passed away in December following a long battle with prostate cancer. Last week Dunne described his father, a Kerryman who was a successful Gaelic football player with Louth, as “my manager as much as a father”.
His absence was felt but Dunne’s loved ones were out in force at the Aviva Stadium as Ireland avoided relegation from League B of the Nations League.
“All my family and friends from Dundalk, and loads of ones up in Dundalk, they’ll be absolutely delighted back home. It’s a great feeling.
“Blackrock specifically, my little village there in Dundalk, I’m representing a small parish, my GAA parish, everyone in Geraldines, it’s a really proud day.”
Dunne has felt energised by coming back into camp under Heimir Hallgrimsson. He was first called-up by Martin O’Neill in 2018 and was also twice called into the squad by Stephen Kenny.
“Coming in with fresh eyes, I’m fully on board and believe this team can go on and do great things,” he says.
“There is so much talent in that team. When you look at our team on paper compared to other national teams we play against, we should be winning and we know that. This week has looked like a team that is full of confidence and we know what we’re doing, I can’t see why we can’t go on and keep winning.”
Dunne’s journey to this point has taken the St Kevin’s Boys graduate across the five leagues in English football and included a short spell in the Scottish Premiership with Hearts, all of which came after being released by Manchester United as an 18-year-old. He made his Premier League debut for Burnley in 2020 but a 2021 move to QPR has proved the turning point, with Dunne closing in on 150 appearances for the London side.
Currently enjoying a strong run of form for the Championship club, the 27-year-old was close to a January move and is expected to be in demand when the summer transfer window opens.
“That’s football. I absolutely love it at QPR, it’s a fantastic club and it’s given me the platform to play regular football at a really good level. I love the people there, and I love all the lads, it’s been really easy for me to keep kicking on there.”
Special day from start to finish. The experience of being in Murrayfield all day was unbelievable. I remember the press during the week saying that should Ireland win they would be presented with the trophy in an empty Murrayfield stadium. Nothing could’ve been further from the truth. The place was rocking. Superb memory.
One of my fondest memories – thousands of Irish men and women in a Scottish stadium cheering on the French with renditions of “Allez Les Bleus” and “Les Marseillais”. Fair play to the SRU for reopening Murray field for the second half.