Tommy Connolly (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Tommy Connolly

| image =

| fullname = Thomas Connolly

| birth_date = 1946

| death_date = 27 July 2021 (aged 74)

| birth_place = Dundalk, County Louth, Leinster, Ireland

| death_place = Drogheda, County Louth, Leinster, Ireland

| position = Inside forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Rangers
Dundalk

| clubs1 = Dundalk

| years1 = 1969–1973

| caps1 = 29

| goals1 = 1

| manageryears1 = 1975–1983

| managerclubs1 = Dundalk (youth team)

| manageryears2 = 1984–1985

| managerclubs2 = Dundalk

| manageryears3 = 1984–1990

| managerclubs3 = Leinster (youth team)

| managerclubs4 = Dundalk (assistant manager)

| manageryears4 = 1985–1997

| managerclubs5 = Dundalk (joint manager)

| manageryears5 = 1997–1999

}}

Thomas O. Connolly (1946 – 27 July 2021) was an Irish footballer and manager who enjoyed a 40-year association as player, youth team coach, assistant manager and first-team manager with Dundalk.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/tommy-connolly-dundalk-passes-away-5506996-Jul2021/|title=Tributes paid as former Dundalk manager and Ireland underage coach Connolly passes away|publisher=The 42|date=27 July 2021|access-date=27 July 2021|first=|last=}}

Career

After starting out with Rangers in the Dundalk Minor League, Connolly joined the Dundalk youth team in the early 1960s. He made his first-team debut under Liam Tuohy in April 1970 against St Patrick's Athletic and went on to make a total of 29 appearances between 1970 and 1973.{{cite news|url=http://www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com/player.php?id=327|title=Tommy Connolly profile|publisher=Dundalk FC Who's Who website|date=27 July 2021|access-date=27 July 2021|first=|last=}} In 1975, under Jim McLaughlin, he became manager of the club's youth squad before taking charge of the Leinster youth team between 1984 and 1990. Connolly undertook his first stint as Dundalk's first-team manager in 1984. He had a further four more periods in that role, either as caretaker or joint manager, right up to 2005. Connolly's managerial services were also in demand at national level and he held the position of manager with the Irish Technical Colleges (1991), FAI U15 and U16 (1993–1995), National League U23 (1996) and the National League U20 squad (1997).{{cite news|url=https://www.dundalkfc.com/rip-tommy-connolly/|title=RIP Tommy Connolly|publisher=Dundalk FC website|date=27 July 2021|access-date=27 July 2021|first=|last=}}