Name: Peter Joseph KavanaghBorn: 11 September 1909, Dublin *
Died: 15 February 1993, Glasgow (Scotland)
Height: 5.04 ft
Weight: 9.10 st
Position: Outside-Left
Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 Full Cap (1929); Irish Free State: 2 Full Caps (1931); League of Ireland: 2 Caps/2 Goals (1928-1929).
Club Honours: (with Bohemians) League of Ireland Champion 1927/28; FAI Cup Winner 1927/28; League of Ireland Shield Winner 1927/28, 1928/29.
Club Career:
Teams
|
Seasons
|
Signed
|
Fee
|
League
|
FA Cup
|
Other
|
Munster Boys
|
(Drumcondra)
|
-
|
Youth
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Melrose Celtic of Fairview
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Drumcondra
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Bohemians
|
27/28-28/29
|
-27
|
-
|
46/11
|
-
|
-
|
Celtic
|
29/30-31/32
|
Apr-29
|
-
|
32/ 5
|
3/0
|
-
|
Northampton T.
|
32/33
|
Aug-32
|
-
|
1/ 0
|
-
|
-
|
Guildford City
|
33/34
|
-
|
-
|
(Southern League)
|
||
Hibernian
|
33/34-34/35
|
Oct-33
|
-
|
9/ 3
|
3/0
|
-
|
Stranraer
|
35/36
|
Nov-35
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Waterford
|
35/36
|
Feb-36
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Witton Albion
|
36/37-38/39
|
-
|
-
|
(Cheshire County League)
|
||
Babcock & Wilcox
|
-
|
Nov-38
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
TOTALS
|
-
|
£-
|
88/19
|
6/0
|
-
|
|
Biography:
A flying left-sided winger, Peter Kavanagh came through junior football in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, signing for Bohemians in 1927. His manager at Bohs was ex-Rangers player, Bobby Parker, who thrust the teenage Kavanagh straight into the first eleven. Bohemians duly did the “clean-sweep” in his first season. Quickly Kavanagh was drawing the attentions at a higher level. He played for the Bohs in a friendly against Celtic in April 1928; in October that year he scored twice as the League of Ireland defeated the Welsh League 4-3 at Dalymount Park; and the following October he played in another Inter-League match, this time losing out 2-1 to the Irish League.
In April 1929 Celtic were scouting for a Dublin full-back, but the reports sent back to Glasgow talked glowingly of Bohemian’s wonder-kid at outside-left. Quickly the club stepped in to sign him - though Kavanagh was none-to-keen to leave his native Dublin. He made his Celtic debut in a 2-1 Scottish League win over Hearts on 10 August 1929, scoring his first goal two weeks later against Aberdeen with a bullet “that almost tore the roof off the net”. In October, still just a teenager, he was selected by Ireland as stand-in for Belfast Celtic’s Jackie Mahoood. That 3-0 defeat by England proved to be his only Irish FA recognition. Later he twice played against Spain for the Irish Free State, in a 1-1 draw in Barcelona in April 1931 and in a 5-0 defeat in Dublin that December.
After initial good progress at Celtic Park, Kavanagh dropped down the pecking order as he “did not develop the thrust expected”. He had one more notable appearance for the Hoops, playing the “game of his life” against Kilmarnock on 21st February 1931. Following an impasse over re-signing terms, Kavanagh was freed by Celtic in May 1932. He began the following campaign with Northampton, but made just one appearance before appearing for Guildford City in 1933 then Hibernian from January 1934. He then played briefly for Stranraer (November 1935), back in Ireland with Waterford (February 1936) before finishing his career prior to World War Two with works team, Babcock & Wilcox.
Peter Kavanagh settled in Glasgow, passing away in Leverndale Hospital in February 1993.
Ireland Cap Details:
19-10-1929 England. A L 0-3 BC
Summary: 1/0. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 1.
Irish Free State Cap Details:
26-04-1931 Spain... A D 1-1 FR
13-12-1931 Spain... H L 0-5 FR
Summary: 2/0. Won 0, Drew 1, Lost 1.
With thanks to Martin O'Connor.
* Date of birth possibly 5 June 1908.
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