How Shamrock Rovers’ third double in the 1980s ended an era of dominance amid the bitter sale of Glenmalure Park

As dark clouds loomed over Milltown the class of 1987 made history, they will travel together to the FAI Cup final hoping the current crop checks an unticked box

The Shamrock Rovers team that won the FAI Cup in 1987 and completed an astonishing three doubles in a row.

Pat Byrne laughs at an unexpected question. The man widely described as the greatest League of Ireland player is struggling to recall how the Shamrock Rovers players of 1987 celebrated the FAI Cup final win over Dundalk, which marked a third consecutive double for an all-conquering Hoops side.

There were a lot of trophy celebrations in the ’80s, so they’ve all blurred into one. Their Milltown base facilitated a short trip to Ashton’s or the Dropping Well. It wasn’t always a collective gathering. “The southside fellas stayed southside, the northside fellas stayed northside,” he laughs. “Sometimes we’d make it into town. They were fantastic times.”