His first destination was Derry City, although he actually lived in Waterfoot in County Antrim. The signing of a ‘big name’ such as Delaney caused significant excitement in Derry but came at a significant financial cost for the Irish side.
It was clear that Delaney’s experience would make this a worthwhile investment. In his debut game, Derry City won 6-1 with the Scotsman scoring a hat-trick. His team then reached the Irish Cup Final and claimed a 1-0 victory over Belfast Glentoran.
When the full-time whistle sounded, Delaney and his team celebrated. This makes him the only man to win the Scottish Cup, FA Cup and also Irish Cup, an achievement unlikely to be matched any time soon. This season also marked another personal success for Delaney as he was crowned Ulster Footballer of the Year for the 1953-54 season.
By 1955, Delaney was 41 and struggling to continue to play football at an appropriate level. However, he had time for another Irish experience, travelling south to the ‘rebel county’ of Cork. He signed for Cork Athletic, acting as player and manager.
Jimmy Delaney, Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr, out now on Celtic Star Books. Image The Celtic Wiki
Whilst at Brandywell, Delaney came close to another piece of footballing history. So far, he had won national cup medals in three countries: Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. Now he had the chance of a fourth.
In April 1956, he took his Cork team to Dalymount Park in Dublin to play in the final of the Football Association of Ireland Cup. Their opponents were the green-and-white hooped Shamrock Rovers. Sadly, there was to be no happy ending for Delaney whose team lost.
The next year, Delaney agreed to stay in Cork, but was soon on the move back to Scotland for the final leg of his footballing journey. This time, he again headed north where he was to play for Elgin City.
