Remembering Denis J Hannon (Dinny Hannon)

Remembering Denis J Hannon (Dinny Hannon). 1888 - 1971. , Denis J Hannon was born in 59 Connaught Street in January 1888, the fourth child of William and Kate Hannon. He had three brothers, Michael, John, Thomas J, Fr Paddy and two sisters May and Lily. He was educated at Summerhill College, Sligo at the same time as the famous Athlonian Count John McCormack., In 1906 he moved to University College Dublin where he studied law. He later joined Bohemians Football Club in 1906. It was announced in the Westmeath Independent in November 1907 that he had been selected to play for Ireland against England. He played his first international for Ireland in February 1908 against England and he was a member of the first Irish team to beat England in a full soccer international. He captained Bohemians in the 1913-1914 season. He captained several Irish teams in matches against England, Scotland and Wales., In June 1915 Dinny Hannon had been successful in his final examinations. Having qualified as a solicitor he continued to play with Bohemians until the formation of the FAI. He played international level under the IFA and later under the FAI. He gained five amateur caps with the IFA and he had six full caps with the IFA. He had two full caps with the FAI when he captained Ireland against Bulgaria in May and June 1924 at the Paris Olympics. It was a significant year for him also because in August of that year he married Mary Molly Naughton, from 38-40 Connaught Street., He later returned to Athlone to join the Athlone Town Football Club. One of the great highlights was their great victory over Fordson of Cork in the final Free State Cup on St. Patrick's Day, 1924 when they won and Dinny scored the winning goal. This was the only time that Athlone won the FAI Cup., Dinny Hannon continued to practise as a solicitor in Athlone for many years and served as an official of the Athlone Town Football Club. He was a long serving President of the Club and active board member., His wife died in 1949 and he returned to live at 57 Connaught Street until 1971 and is buried in Cornamagh Cemetery., [TIMELINE] , 1888 BORN IN NO. 59 CONNAUGHT STREET, 1906 STUDIED LAW AT UCD. JOINED BOHEMIANS FC., 1908 FIRST INTERNATIONAL MATCH FOR IRELAND, 1913-14 CAPTAIN FOR BOHEMIANS, 1915 QUALIFIED AS A SOLICITOR, 1924 CAPTIN FOR IRELAND IN THE PARIS OLYMPICS, MARRIED MOLLY NAUGHTON FROM NO. 38-40, SCORED THE WINNING GOAL FOR ATHLONE TOWN TO WIN THE FREE STATE CUP, [Photo captions, left and right, read] , . ATHLONE TOWN TEAM FREE STATE CUP WINNERS. 17th March, 1924. , P. Reilly , J. Monaghan · J. Hope , T. Judge · J. Dykes · T. Muldoon , N. Lyster · D. Hannon · J. Sweeney (Capt.) · T. Collins · F. Ghent. , . Athlone Town AFC, Leinster Junior Cup winners 1921-22, , pictured with some of their supporters. , BACK ROW: Martin Farrelly, G. Hynds, Jim Sweeney Snr, T. Molloy and Peter O'Flynn. , THIRD ROW: Tom Ghent, Danny Hanley, T. Browne, W.J. Bracken, Alan Smith, M. Naughton, F. Finneran, and John Greene (trainer). , SECOND ROW: E. O'Flynn, M. Broderick, P. Colohan, J. Kennedy, John Sweeney, A. Enright and Joe Monaghan. , FRONT ROW: Dinny Hannon, M. Harkins, Frank Ghent, P. 'Scratch' Flannery, Jim Sweeney and Johnnie McManus. , Missing from photo is team member Norman Lyster.