By Paul O’hehir

Copyright irishmirror

The lack of flooring in his first house feels like an appropriate starting point as Stephen Kenny reflects on 1000 games in club management. Kenny will reach that milestone on Friday when St Patrick’s Athletic travel to play Cork City in the FAI Cup semi-final. His league career began in 1998 when Longford Town handed a 26-year-old the reins at a time when his only experience was with Tallaght Town and St Pat’s U21s. It carried on to stints with Bohemians , Derry City, Dunfermline, back to Derry, Shamrock Rovers and a glorious era at Dundalk before taking on the Ireland U21 and senior jobs. But if that reads like a straightforward Wikipedia entry, Kenny admits the journey to this point has been anything but. Not that he would change a thing. “I was lucky that Longford took a chance on me and I’ll always be grateful to them for giving me the opportunity they did,” he said. Kenny took over a Longford team where the majority of players were out-of-contract and he had a £1000 budget for the entire squad. With money too tight to mention, it’s no surprise they languished at the bottom of the League of Ireland First Division, having never been in the top flight. But Kenny was convinced he could address that, even if others seriously doubted it. “We bought a house in Lucan, myself and my wife Siobhan, but we hadn’t put wooden floors in yet,” he said. “Longford had no money to buy players because at that time you had to buy players. Fellas were earning small amounts but the transfer fees were still exorbitant. “Athlone had bought two players for £25k. I actually bought Richie Parsons and Robbie Coyle out of the money that we were supposed to put the wooden floors in with. “When we got up later on, brilliant people came in behind the scenes and that was all squared up long term. “But at the time, I didn’t know that and we had to pay that to get them out of their contracts. The two players made a difference and helped us get promoted.” On another occasion, Kenny arranged a family holiday in Dungarvan, Co Waterford because it was the only way he could meet two players for face-to-face talks. “Longford wasn’t a hugely attractive club,” said Kenny, admitting you had to put in the hard yards to get deals over the line, even if it impacted family time. It paid off as Alan Kirby became one of Longford’s best ever players, while Alan Reynolds – the current Bohemians manager – made an impact too, albeit in a shorter stint. The first major setback in Kenny’s career came when he was sacked by Bohemians, where he had delivered a league title. “We went from having three incomes and a house in Lucan, to one income,” said Kenny. “I ran a cooked meats business and was on the road. Siobhan was a manager in an IT company and was doing well. “And then you had your football money with Longford, which was an extra. Siobhan had initially tried working with three children and I was never there, so it wasn’t easy. “I decided to go full-time with Bohemians and alter the balance of that. We went to one income and then that’s sort of pulled from you, and you’re struggling.” Kenny wasn’t long out of the game, pitching up at Derry City and that knack of getting back on the horse quickly has been a trait throughout his career. The longest he spent out of the game was the six months in between his Ireland departure in late 2023 and landing the St Pat’s job in May 2024. Kenny had offers to go elsewhere at that time, including club jobs in England and another international side in Europe. “I had a strong offer from a League One club with about three months to go in my contract with Ireland, a very good club and a very good job,” he said. “They came to my house twice but I still had the games against Holland and New Zealand and I wasn’t willing to walk out on my country. “Even though I probably knew the contract wasn’t going to be renewed, you don’t do that. You don’t leave your country. “I had other clubs as well. Anthony Barry was onto me a few times about Plymouth and with Barnsley, another gentleman was on. “Of course I was interested, but my reputation had taken a ….the negativity towards me after the Ireland job, that was tough to take. That was a very tough time to be honest.” Kenny added: “There were options to manage other countries. One or two in Asia, one in Europe but it would have been a very, very difficult job, one of the weakest countries.” But while Kenny was mulling over his next venture, Siobhan was involved in a serious car accident that put all offers and career decisions on the backburner. “Two of my assistants at Bohs, Gary Howlett and Gino Brazil, both their wives died in that period, both 52, 53, the same age as Siobhan,” said Kenny. “They died within a couple of months of me finishing the Ireland job. It was a strange time because we’re all the same age, and then Siobhan was in a horrific car accident. “She was pushed 150 yards up the M50, by an articulated truck, and nearly went over the edge. Her face was in the grill of the truck, as the car was being pushed up. “It was very traumatic at that time and it still is. At the time, her mother was unwell. There was a lot of stuff going on. “But I decided I needed to work and that’s when (St Pat’s owner) Garrett Kelleher came on and I decided to take the job”. At 53, Kenny feels he has plenty of years ahead of him in management and while St Pat’s is the only focus right now, he’s not closing the door on future opportunities here or abroad. “I’ve had great players to work with all over the years. Great coaches, assistants. I’m indebted to them all,” he added. “I’ve had to deal with a lot but I’ve been surrounded by a lot of good people and Siobhan has been there from the start of it all. “I’ve had great support from my children who sacrificed a lot for me in their own lives. Moving from Dublin, Derry, Scotland, back to Ireland. “It’s been an incredible journey but there’s a lot more to do and I feel very privileged to be in the business I’m in.” ************************************* Stephen Kenny has revealed how St Pat’s owner Garrett Kelleher convinced him to start going to Ireland games again. Ireland’s World Cup draw at home to Hungary in September was the first time Kenny has been to an Ireland match since his spell as manager ended in 2023. “Garret said to me I should go,” said the Saints boss. “I wasn’t going to go but he said I needed to. You need to have a bit of space from it. “Ultimately I’m an Ireland supporter, I have always been, and I fully back the manager (Heimir Hallgrimsson) and staff and all the players. They have my full support.” Asked how he felt watching Ireland play, after returning to Aviva Stadium for an international match, after three years as Ireland boss, Kenny said: “A bit surreal”. He continued: “It’s a chapter in my life and a huge honour. People can view it any way they want. It was the time of my life. “It was a transitional period for the country, for football in Ireland. And ideologically, I was absolutely right to do what I did. “I still stand over that, that it was the right method. I’m not complaining about being replaced, I accepted it. I understood the realities of the situation.” But with just six competitive wins to his name as Ireland manager, Kenny admits the defeats were tough to take. “I don’t do defeats well,” he said.. “Even after losing to Sligo Rovers at the weekend, I found it hard to speak to people on Sunday. Defeats take a lot out of me.”