Tony Dunne
Irish footballer
About Tony Dunne
Lived 1941 – 2020 (aged 78). Tony Dunne was an Irish association football player, association football coach and athlete.
Anthony Peter Dunne (24 July 19418 June 2020) was an Irish footballer who played as a left-back. Born in Dublin, he began his career with youth side Stella Maris before signing for Drumcondra-based Shelbourne, with whom he won the FAI Cup in his second year in the senior team in 1960. That year, he moved to England to play for Manchester United, for whom he made more than 500 appearances in 13 years, winning the First Division in 1965 and 1967, the FA Cup in 1963 and the European Cup in 1968. After being released in 1973, he signed for Bolton Wanderers, making another almost 200 appearances in six years, before playing a single season with the Detroit Express in the North American Soccer League in 1979. Dunne won 33 caps for the Republic of Ireland between 1962 and 1975, and was named Irish Footballer of the Year in 1969. After retiring, he had a brief spell as manager of Norwegian club Steinkjer FK in 1982–83.
Club career Early career Born in Dublin on 24 July 1941, Dunne played for Stella Maris as a schoolboy and Shelbourne from 1958 to 1960. Having helped Shelbourne win the FAI Youth Cup in 1959, he won the FAI Cup with them the following year, beating Cork Hibernians 2–0 in the final. as cover for Noel Cantwell and Shay Brennan. This was despite having ruptured his Achilles tendon in the quarter-final of the competition against Gornik Zabrze.
He made 535 appearances for Manchester United, behind only Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes at the time of his departure in 1973.
Bolton Wanderers Dunne was released by Manchester United following the 1972–73 season, and signed for newly promoted Second Division side Bolton Wanderers in August 1973, though he returned to Manchester United for a testimonial match two months later. In six years with Bolton, he made almost 200 appearances and helped them win the Second Division in 1977–78. Over 13 years, he earned 33 caps, appearing in both full-back positions and at centre-half.
Manchester United Football League First Division: 1964–65, 1966–67 FA Cup: 1962–63 European Cup: 1967–68 1967
Bolton Wanderers Football League Second Division: 1977–78
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Important facts
People in Tony Dunne's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Tony Dunne's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Tony Dunne?
Irish footballer (1941–2020)
When was Tony Dunne born?
Tony Dunne was born on 24 July 1941 in Dublin.
When did Tony Dunne die?
Tony Dunne died on 8 June 2020.
What was Tony Dunne's occupation?
Tony Dunne was an association football player, association football coach and athlete.
What nationality was Tony Dunne?
Tony Dunne was Irish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tony Dunne. https://biography.guide/tony-dunne/
MLA: "Tony Dunne." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tony-dunne/.
Chicago: "Tony Dunne." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tony-dunne/.
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