St Patrick's Athletic made a statement appointment this morning, with the League of Ireland club announcing that Stephen Kenny will be their new manager.
There had been some whispers around a potential move for the former Republic of Ireland manager in recent days, with it being suggested that the 52-year old was open to a move to Richmond Park.
The move would be confirmed this morning, with Kenny signing a deal with the club until the end of the 2029 season.
St Patrick's Athletic are thrilled to announce the appointment of Stephen Kenny as First Team Manager.
The 52-year-old returns to League of Ireland management after five years working in international football, and has signed a contract at Richmond Park to take him to the end of… pic.twitter.com/s8weMQCs4w— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) May 16, 2024
His first game in charge will be tomorrow night's home fixture against Ruadhrí Higgins' Derry City, before the team hosts Damien Duff's Shelbourne on Monday evening.
Of course, both of those opposition managers were previously part of Kenny's Ireland backroom team, something to add an extra layer of intrigue to the fixtures.
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Stephen Kenny signs unprecedented contract with St Pat's
Stephen Kenny has an incredible track record in the League of Ireland, having won the Premier Division on five occasions with Bohemians and Dundalk.
He took over at Dundalk at a time when the club was at a low ebb, going on to establish them as one of the most dominant League of Ireland teams of all-time. With St Pat's currently going through a down period, it will be hoped that he can replicate that success at Richmond Park over the coming seasons.
It certainly seems as though time will be on his side to do so, signing a deal that runs for the next five-and-a-half years. That is an unprecedented contract length in the League of Ireland.
Speaking to the club's social media channels, Stephen Kenny explained why he hoped signing such a long deal would benefit both him and the club moving forward.
It's a bit of a whirlwind in the end really. I'm just looking to get started.
It's a new chapter in my life and a new chapter for the club. We will absolutely give it everything...
Garrett Kelleher (St Pat's chairman) has shared his vision for the club with me for a long time. He has plans for the stadium, a tour of America, European progression, and a lot of exciting plans really.
We're obviously a long way from that at the moment, because we're at the wrong end of the table and have got some hard work to do.
The reason I signed a more long-term contract was to build the club over a period of time. I wish to do that...
When Garrett came to speak to me, he said he didn't want me to be an employee, but to be a partner in driving the club. I work better in that kind of environment.
I'm looking forward to driving the club. My mother used to come here, she was from Inchicore and live in Ballyfermot, so there is a good connection there.
Stephen Kenny got his first experience in coaching a St Pat's, managing the club's U21 side back in the 1990s. Almost three decades on, he will now return to take the top job.
St Pat's currently sit in seventh place in the League of Ireland Premier Division, although the condensed nature of this season's league table means that they remain within touching distance of most of the teams above them.
With Kenny at the helm, they will be hoping to make a push up the league over the second half of the season.
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