Mick Kearin

Bohemians

Before being released, Kearin had scored a hat-trick for St Pats in a reserve team game against Bohemian F.C. which brought him to the attention of their manager George Lax.

Bohemians were fully amateur at the time and had been in the doldrums since the late 1930s. The previous season had seen the club struggle in the league, winning one game while finishing bottom of the 1962–63 table. In Kearin's first season at the club, Bohs were unable to better their previous results, ending another season in last place. Lax left at the end of the 1963–64 season and was replaced by Phibsborough local, Seán Thomas. As FAI Cup holders, the club had qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup competition and began their 1966–67 European campaign with an 8–2 victory over Spora Luxembourg. Kearin played in Shamrock Rovers' next European Cup Winners' Cup tie against FC Bayern Munich, which he cited as his personal career highlight:

I have won three (FAI) cup medals in a row but my favourite result was the one against Bayern Munich. We should have won the first leg at Dalymount too. — Mick Kearin| — Leinster Leader Kearin felt that the free-kick Bayern scored from should have been retaken, as the ball was rolling when Beckenbauer kicked it, but the goal stood and Bayern went on to win the tournament. Kearin's first season with Rovers did conclude with a trophy, after the club managed to retain the FAI Cup with a 3–2 victory over St. Patrick's Athletic.

Boston Rovers

After his first season with Shamrock Rovers, Kearin was involved in the ill-fated Boston Rovers team, alongside several other Shamrock Rovers players, including Mick Leech, Paddy Mulligan and Frank O’Neill. The side, who were managed by Liam Tuohy, were essentially an imported and renamed Shamrock Rovers team that competed in the United Soccer Association league in 1967 before dissolving just a year later.

A six-week summer team to promote the advent of professional soccer in the US, the Boston Rovers games saw Mick play against the Detroit Cougars (the franchise name given to Glentoran F.C.). Boston Rovers also came up against South American teams, and the likes of Sunderland, Wolves, Hibs and Stoke City amongst others.

Kearin played a couple of matches following this loan move, but after agreeing a longer deal with the Massachusetts-based team, Rovers intervened and prevented him from signing.

Return to Rovers

His seven-year stay at Glenmalure Park included scoring twice in eight appearances for Rovers in Europe.

He scored in the 1969 FAI Cup final replay against Cork Celtic.

Honours Shamrock Rovers FAI Cup: 1967, 1968, 1969