Honorary Members

For more information on our honoury members, click on their name or picture below.

Club President
David May

Honoury Members
Patrick Kielty | Anthony Dobbin | David Healy | Kathleen McCullough

David May

Birthplace: Oldham, 24th June 1970
Height: 183cm - 6ft 0in
Weight: 85kg - 13st 5lb
Position: Defender
Debut: 14.08.1994
Appearances (1994-2001): 108
Goals: 7

David May was signed by Blackburn Rovers as a schoolboy and progressed through the ranks of junior football with the Lancashire side into the first team.

May was part of the Blackburn team which gained promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in 1991-92.

When May's contract was up in the summer of 1994, Alex Ferguson moved in to sign him for £1.2 million - with a view to him eventually replacing Steve Bruce. However, his first season at Old Trafford did not go as planned. He was played out of position for much of the season and the Bruce-Pallister partnership at the back seemed to be as strong as ever.

The following season May fought hard to win a regular place in the centre of United's defence and by the end of the season the centre-half position had become his. But it was in the 1996/97 season when May showed just why Alex Ferguson had bought him. He is a popular player amongst the Manchester United supporters who chant his name to the tune of 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. To round his season off May was also selected by Glenn Hoddle to join the England squad in March 1997 but he was forced to withdraw because of an injury.

Since joining United May has won two League Championship medals in 1996 and 1997 and an FA Cup winners' medal in 1996. A frustrating run of injuries meant that his 1998/99 season did not get underway until the latter stages. This was at the time that Alex Ferguson was looking to rest key players as the season approached its amazing climax.

His reappearance came too late to earn him a Premiership medal, although he had certainly played his part. He made up for lost time, however, with another FA Cup winners' medal and also a Champions League winners' medal.

Regardless, of the injury hit season that David has had to endure over the two last seasons, he has continued to work very hard for Downpatrick MUSC club, and his work is deeply apprecaited by all our members, who are now lucky enough to have meet him on several occasions. We all hope that the 2001 -2002 season will see the return of the world class defender that has stolen the hearts of many United Supportes in Downpatrick. With his second home in Downpatrick, and with a little luck of the Irish, David will hopefully be bouncing back in the very near future.

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Patrick Kielty

Patrick Kielty is one of our honourary members and as you can see from his various televison shows he is a true 'RED'. Patrick was born in the little town of Dundrum in the shadows of the Mountain of Mournes, where he attended the Sacred Heart Primary School in the town. This is where he became aware of the 'Mighty Reds' and on leaving primary school Patrick went on to St. Patrick's High School, Downpatrick where he continued his studies, and by chance and destiny combined comedy and impressions for a school function. Patrick then went on to Queens University in Belfast and along with a few mates soon set up a comedy night in the Students Union.

Patrick with his quick wit and humour was soom doing one night stands up and down the country. Within Belfast itself he is widly regarded as the man who revived the famous Empire Comedy Club.

Patrick has come back to our TV sereens revcently in the very sucessful "Patrick Kielty Live" show on Friday nights. He show has attracted many popular film, tv and sports personalities. For more details on this show you should visit the Northern Ireland BBC website.

With all the sucessful television shows, one might be forgiven for thinking that Patrick might have given up the stand up shows, on the contary. Patrick has over the last few years consistently packed out venues all over the country, ranging from the massive audiences in the Waterfal hall in Belfast, to smaller yet no less glamours venues such as the Slieve Donard hotel in Newcastle, County Down.

Over the many years Patrick has been an a very active honourary member of Downpatrick MUSC. On several occasions he has literally brought the house down with laughter at the annual dinner dance. His support of the club is widely appreciated by the memebrs, and we all look forward to an exciting and laughter filled future with Patrick in Downpatrick MUSC in the years to come.

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Anthony Dobbin

The Grand National winner Anthony (Tony) Dobbin has been an honourary member of Downpatrick MUSC for many years. Anthony started riding horses at the tender age of eleven. His father Paddy was huntsman with East Down Foxhounds and here lies the connection with Anthony's riding career. With his father's encouragement he started to ride (pony racing) competitively and success came fast.

A chance meeting at Punchestown in 1988 with John Jo O'Neill led to Anthony being offered a post in John Jo's yard as an apprentice jockey - again success came swiftly. He rode his first professional winner at Hamilton on a horse called Stay Awake at the odds of 9-2.

After years of success with John Jo's yard he was offered the job of first jockey to M. Barnes which he decided to accept and what a decision that proved to be. With a great detemination to succeed, a lot of hard work and abundance of skill he becam the Willain Hill Conditional Champion Jockey in the 1993/4 season.

By now his career was really taking off and other trainers were sitting up and taking notice of this young Downpatrick lad. Soon trainers from all parts of England were keen to use Anthony's sevices namely; P.Montieth, M,Hammond, David Nicholson.

Finally came the big break he had been waiting for, Gordon Richards, by far the biggest and best trainer in the North of England offered Anthony the post of first jockey for the retiring Neal Doughity in the 1994/5 season.

He then won the 1994 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup on One Man before being jocked off in favour of Richard Dunwoody.

The greatest honour any jockey could have is to be known as a Grand National winner. In 1997, Anthony gained that honour in flying colours in one of the most famous Grand National's ever. It was famous for several reasons. The race was held on a Monday afternoon instead of the usual Saturday afternoon, due to a security alert in the Antree course, and it was also famous for the floods tears shed by the bookmakers in Downpatrick and indeed Northern Ireland, as many a punter had backed Anthony for the big race.

Dobbin is now a regular rider for Nicky Richards, who took over the licence at Greystoke following the death of his father Gordon.

Anthony, has achieved so much in his career, and he continues to succeed despite many terrible injuries over the years. His success has come about through hard work and commitment, and all that is left to say is that MUSC in Downpatrick wish Anthony every success in the future and thank him for being a honourary member of our own successful club.

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