It was a festival of football at Dalymount Park on Monday night as Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers played out the final Dublin derby at the historic old Phibsborough ground.
As the international break begins, a strong Ireland contingent came out in the sweltering summer evening sun to see the Hoops steal all three points at the death, with Troy Parrott, Jake O’Brien, Jayson Molumby, Heimir Hallgrimsson and John O’Shea all spotted on site by eager fans on the same day they arrived for camp.
No doubt they would have been interested in watching Ed McGinty and Dawson Devoy in action, two lads who are due to join the Boys in Green for the first time later this week.
They’ll be alongside Rovers’ Adam Brennan and Cork’s Conor Brann as League of Ireland involvement in the Irish setup has become a major talking point in recent weeks.
Stephen Bradley’s U-turn surprised everyone before the game even kicked off, handing McGinty a start between the sticks despite talking up teenage prospect Alex Noonan in the buildup to the fixture. McGinty had been due to join his Irish teammates for training the same day.
As expected, Devoy played out the full game, as it had been confirmed by the FAI on Monday that he’d miss the Qatar game and link up with the squad later for the match against Canada. That means he’ll also be available for Bohs’ trip to Sligo Rovers on Friday.
Duff calls for “common sense to prevail”
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Former Shelbourne boss Damien Duff is no stranger to the media, and he had a lot to say about Alan Reynolds’ decision to withhold Devoy from Ireland camp.
Speaking on Virgin Media Two before their coverage of the derby on Monday night, he said the following:
McGinty’s staying now, I think it’s massive for Rovers. On the flip side, Dawson Devoy. That’s probably the really strange one for me, Alan Reynolds has openly said for months and months, and telling anybody that would listen, that, and I quote him, ‘I’d love to see him play, he deserves it’ as in Dawson Devoy.
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And now he’s not going at all? I would like, just, common sense to prevail. What does that mean? Play tonight and go and meet up tonight. You’ll be in the hotel for eleven o’clock, you missed the session today where I’d say it was a bit of banter, a bit of a laugh, not much team shape, tomorrow you just recover.
Wednesday which is MD-1 for the Irish team he can do a modified session, you don’t do much anyway on a Wednesday before a Thursday game. And, he has a chance of making his debut, which is what everybody at Bohs pushed for, against Qatar on Thursday.
All I’m saying is, Dawson doesn’t seem too upset when he’s being quoted, he’s very proud to get called up etc., I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that he makes his debut against Canada, you’d like to think we’d dominate.
There must be a bit of him that’s slightly disappointed. To go and represent your national team, whether it be once, twice, 50, 100 times, there’s nothing better. On the flip side, I have to look at it from a manager’s point of view, it’s a top of the table clash and he wants his best player.
You can hear his full comments down below:
🗣️ “It just shows what a big game it is.”
Damien Duff, alongside Tommy Martin and Tim Clancy, reacts to the Republic of Ireland call-ups and the decision to start Ed McGinty for Shamrock Rovers ahead of tonight’s Dublin derby#VMSport #LOI pic.twitter.com/2dHh436xpY
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) May 25, 2026
The game finished 2-1 to Shamrock Rovers, Ross Tierney’s first half goal being ruled out after an incredible comeback from the Hoops. John McGovern netted the equaliser just 60 seconds after coming off the bench, before Dylan Watts’ cross met the leaping former Ireland international Enda Stevens who headed home his first League of Ireland goal in the fourth minute of injury time.
Bohs travel to Sligo Rovers on Friday night, whilst Rovers will host St. Patrick’s Athletic as the two top placed teams go head to head at Tallaght Stadium.
