David Sneyd

IN THE WEEK leading up to St Patrick’s Athletic winning last season’s FAI Cup under Jon Daly on 12 November, there were transfer talks happening in the background to try and ensure that 2024 could start with a bang.

Owner Garrett Kelleher was the driving force of discussions with Jack Byrne about a move to Richmond Park.

The Shamrock Rovers midfielder was out of contract at Tallaght Stadium and while he was recovering from a knee injury after a frustrating campaign he was viewed as a statement signing by the man who controls the purse strings in Inchicore.

Byrne’s contact regarding the possible transfer was with Kelleher as opposed to manager Jon Daly and when it came to making a decision on his future the player informed the Saints’ owner personally that he would be staying with the four-in-a-row League of Ireland Premier Division champions.

Within a matter of days, though, St Pat’s won the Cup against Bohemians in front of a record crowd of 43,881 at Aviva Stadium.

But the pursuit of Byrne – led by Kelleher – was an indication of his ambition and aims for the year ahead.

Fast forward six months from lifting the FAI Cup, just after the May Bank Holiday weekend, and Pat’s are without a manager after Daly’s exit was confirmed following a 1-0 defeat away to Sligo Rovers.

It was their seventh defeat of the season and leaves them just four points above the promotion/relegation play-off spot heading into a vital period. They face Rovers away this Friday, with back to back home games against Derry City and Shelbourne before a trip to face Bohemians followed by the visit of Galway United at the end of the month.

June then begins with the visit of Dundalk, currently bottom but showing signs of life since the arrival of their new manager, Noel King.

This was not a situation Kelleher expected to find his club in by this point.

That is why he acted and, in a scenario of striking similarity to this time last year when Daly was placed in interim charge after Tim Clancy was shown the door, assistant Sean O’Connor will be in the dugout for that Dublin derby this week.

Yet more upheaval and confusion for a club that looked to be heading in the right direction under Daly by the end of last season when he guided them to third and won the Cup convincingly.

The inability to build on the momentum and even sustain the standards that had been set previously are what ultimately led Kelleher to axing a person those who worked alongside him describe as honest, hardworking and decent.

St Pat's owner Garrett Kelleher (left) with Chris Forrester after winning the 2024 FAI Cup final. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

In the weeks after that Cup final triumph the reshaping of the Pat’s squad began with significant financial outlay in an attempt to build on the positive impact Daly made.

Five of the starting XI – as well as 18-year-old substitute Adam Murphy who was signed by Bristol City – departed the club.

Goalkeeper Dean Lyness moved to Scottish League One club Hamilton Academical, and there are conflicting reasons as to why the club’s player of the year was not retained. Personal circumstances meant Scotland was his preferred destination according to some, while others have indicated that his exit was a decision that counted against Daly’s judgement.

Brazilian Marcelo Pitaluga was signed on loan from Liverpool in early January and while there was some initial hype given his parent club the 21-year-old lost his place in the team within the first month of the season and has not been able to dislodge Danny Rogers since.

Kelleher may have been hands on in the Byrne discussions, but it’s understood that Daly was still given licence to mould his squad as he saw fit.

Brandon and Cian Kavanagh both arrived from Derry by late November and the signing of striker Ruairi Keating from relegated Cork City to lead the line before December illustrated the faith being shown.

The wages on offer also helped ensure business was getting done early.

By mid December midfielder Aaron Bolger followed Keating from Leeside, and it’s believed he too had other options in the capital until the Pat’s offer trumped what was on the table.

Centre back Conor Keeley was wanted by Dundalk but chose Pat’s before Christmas and Luke Turner also arrived in the New Year to ensure that Daly was at least able to work with his newly-assembled squad for the majority of pre-season.

That even a similar level of consistency to the second half of last season was unable to be found caused consternation and, following Monday’s limp defeat, action was taken.

Naturally, a slew of names have been linked with the vacancy.

Former Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny is not believed to be a viable candidate given he has made it abundantly clear that he wishes to pursue alternative options in the UK or Europe. But that hasn’t put Kelleher off, and perhaps the arrival of Kenosis Sports Group as strategic investors back in March may provide even further clout.

Stephen Elliott, who was confirmed as the club’s Head of Academy at the end of January, is also a possibility from within given it’s understood that he was under consideration by Kelleher to replace Clancy before Daly made such an impression and grabbed his opportunity.

Now a new one knocks for the next person in line.

They will get the backing of the owner and will have to live up to the expectations that follow.