Paddy Turner

Patrick Turner was born in Dublin on 20 April 1939 and grew up in the South Circular Road area. He learned his football with St Finbarrs, the nursery club of Shelbourne, and trained as an electrician.

Turner broke into the Shamrock Rovers first team at 18 and won the League of Ireland in 1958 to 1959, also playing twice in European competition. He joined Shelbourne in August 1960 and in 1961 moved to Morton with goalkeeper Finbarr Flood, scoring 22 goals in 47 appearances over two seasons.

Celtic signed him in May 1963. He made his Celtic debut in a 3 0 League Cup loss to Rangers and made 14 appearances in total before losing his place to Bobby Murdoch. In 1964 he joined Glentoran, scoring 20 goals in 67 games, winning the unbeaten 1964 to 1965 City Cup and scoring in both legs of the European Cup first round tie against Panathinaikos.

In January 1966 he moved to Dundalk for 500 pounds. Under manager Alan Fox he won the League, Shield and Top Four Cup in 1966 to 1967, followed by two Dublin City Cups, the 1970 to 1971 Leinster Senior Cup and the 1971 to 1972 Shield. He scored 104 goals in 244 games and was the club's Player of the Year in 1969 to 1970 with 21 goals. His Dundalk career ended with a serious leg injury in an FAI Cup semi final against Waterford, in which he had scored twice. He signed for Bohemians in November 1972 and scored in their 1973 Leinster Senior Cup final win.

Turner won two caps for the Republic of Ireland. He made his debut on 9 June 1963 in a 1 0 friendly win over Scotland at Dalymount Park, two weeks after joining Celtic, and won his second cap in April 1964 in a World Cup qualifier against Spain.

Turner was married to Dympna, who died before him, and they had sons Derek and Keith and daughters Karen and Lisa. His grandson Callum Elder became a professional footballer, and the former League of Ireland striker John Delamere was his brother. Introduced to golf while at Celtic, he was a member of Greystones Golf Club for many years and played off a lowest handicap of seven.

Paddy Turner died peacefully at St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin on Saturday 14 November 2026, aged 87. Dundalk FC and Glentoran paid tribute the same day. His funeral Mass was arranged at the Church of St John the Evangelist, Ballinteer, on 17 November, followed by burial in Kilmashogue Cemetery.

Turner is remembered as one of the defining players of Dundalk's golden era of the 1960s. In July 2026 he returned to Oriel Park to be honoured as a Dundalk centenary legend and inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Irish Professional Footballers Benevolent Association.