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Edward Liddle's International Profiles
Patrick Dooley
  • Born
  • Educated
  • Occupation Professional Cricketer
  • Debut 20 May 1867 v MCC at Lord's
  • Cap Number 94
  • Style Right hand bat; slow right round arm bowler
  • Teams Carlow

Patrick Dooley was the third Irish born professional cricketer, after Peter Doyle and Michael Flanagan, to achieve prominence in Irish Cricket. Unlike them, he does not appear to have benefited from the instruction of Phoenix Professional, and future Australian Cricket guru, Charles Lawrence. Pat was unfortunate in his Irish career, not only in the match for which he was selected, but also in the increasing disinclination of those responsible for selecting Irish sides to choose professionals.

A useful batsman, and very good slow bowler, he was regarded as the best Irish professional after Doyle, indeed WP Hone says that he was the better known of the two. Considering the status achieved by Doyle, this seems unlikely, but as Hone must have heard it from his father and other family members of that generation, does show the esteem in which Dooley was held.

He was for many years an essential member of the Carlow Club and was much in demand to play for other teams in the area, though not always successfully. However when, in September 1864 Na Shuler defeated a Carlow XVI by an innings and 116 runs, Pat was one of the few Carlow players to shine taking four Carlow wickets at a low cost as the Shulers notched a remarkable, considering the probable state of the wicket, 226. In 1869 he did even better with nine wickets in the match bowling Carlow to an innings win against a powerful NS batting line up. ND McMillan in his "One Hundred and Fifty Years of Cricket and Sport in County Carlow" (1981) noted the importance of Carlow playing Doyle. "The professional involvement is very significant because it shows that Carlow was abreast of contemporary development."

Pat was finally chosen to play for Ireland v MCC at Lord's in 1867. Unfortunately for him, it rained and rained! Ireland reached 10-0 on the first morning before the heavens opened. Three other players, Mervyn de Montmorency, the Earl of Gosford and Captain Joy, shared with Pat, the experience of not getting on the field on their sole Irish appearance. He later became professional to the Cork City Club, forerunner of Cork County and had charge of the Earl of Bandon's private ground at Castle Bernard near Bandon.

NB: As will be seen from the biographical details at the start of this article, information on Patrick Dooley is slim. Anyone who can supply missing information is urged to contact us. Any detail, however slight, would be most gratefully received.