Tommy Muldoon

Wing-half Tommy Muldoon played in the historic first Republic of Ireland (then the Irish Free State) international football match against Bulgaria at the Paris Olympics on 28 May 1924. Fortunately for Muldoon his side won 1-0 because he missed a twice-taken penalty. He also played in the 2-1 extra-time defeat by Netherlands in the quarter-final, and in the friendly against Estonia the following day. Muldoon would then play in Ireland’s first home international against the USA at Dalymount Park, Dublin, on 14 June 1924 (although some sources incorrectly say 16 June).

After finishing school, 17-year-old Muldoon joined the Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment and served in World War I. After the War he joined Athlone Town and in 1924 helped them win the Free State Cup (now the Football Association of Ireland Cup). Played on St. Patrick’s Day, it was the first and only time Athlone had won the FAI Cup (through 2025). They won the competition without conceding a goal and, again through 2025, they remain one of only four teams to achieve that feat.

Muldoon moved to England to join Aston Villa in October 1924. After three years with Villa he moved to Tottenham Hotspur and then third division club Walsall before retiring in 1931. Between 1924-27 Muldoon won five Irish Free State international caps.