Through the Years :: Introduction Famous Old Boys :: Jimmy Holmes :: John Devine :: Paul Doolin :: Brian Kerr :: Alan Quinn :: Full Internationals List		Jimmy Holmes "Ireland's Youngest Ever Senior International" Click on the pics below to view the larger version.    The St. John Bosco team of the late 60's began attracting a lot of interest from scouts, among them Billy Behan, the Man Utd representative in Dublin. He had already sent players of the quality of Liam Whelan and Johnny Giles to Old Trafford. Also on the look out for talent was Bunny Fulham who played in the League of Ireland for many years and was well know and well respected. Bunny was scouting for Coventry City and indeed he pipped Billy Behan and offered a concrete offer to the young Jimmy Holmes to play for Coventry. However Bunny didn't realise that Jimmy Holmes was a Man Utd fan and the fact that Eddie Dunne, (brother of the famous Tony Dunne who himself played for St. John Bosco in the formation year of 1957) helped run the St. John Bosco team, it was Man Utd. who definitely held his affections. Behan approached Jimmy Holmes and told him that Matt Busby wanted to offer him an apprenticeship. In the meantime Bunny Fulham arrived with the Coventry manager of the day, Noel Cantwell, to offer him the trip to the 'Sky Blues'. At the same time Eugene Ryan and David Stokes fellow teammates of Jimmy Holmes at the Bosco who were all current schoolboy internationals went to Coventry on trial. Like many Irish players before him Jimmy Holmes in fact made his international debut before he made a senior appearance for Coventry City. He was 17 years and 200 days old. He made his international debut in May 1971 against Austria. He came on as a substitute for of all people Don Givens. Jimmy Holmes went on to make 31 appearances for the Republic of Ireland. He held the record at the time, that was, he won 25 caps in the shortest space of time and but for that horrific injury in Sofia in 1979 against Bulgaria who knows how many caps he would have gone on to win. Its a record that still holds today and hopefully a record that St. John Bosco will always hold in that the player who became the youngest player every to play senior soccer for Ireland was a St. John Bosco player. Back to Top

Paul Martyn (P.R.O.) Tel. 086-8272597

sjbfc@eircom.net

Designed by Niamh Cloak