# 2023 Dundalk F.C. season

Dundalk entered the 2023 season having finished in third place in the league the previous season. 2023 was Dundalk's 15th consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football, their 88th in all, and their 97th in the League of Ireland. The club celebrated the 120th anniversary of its founding in September 2023. They entered the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League at the first qualifying round stage in what was their 26th European campaign.
Stephen O'Donnell was the club's head coach going into the new term, his second season in charge.

## Season summary

The league season consisting of 36 matches (four series of nine matches) began on 17 February 2023. In Round 22 away to Drogheda United, Pat Hoban scored his 143rd and 144th goals for the club to take him past Joey Donnelly's record of 142 set in 1946. He ended the season with 15 goals, to reach a total of 150 goals for the club. Having briefly entertained a title challenge following a home win over champions Shamrock Rovers in round 24, a poor run subsequently saw the club finish in 5th position and outside the European qualification places.
In the FAI Cup, they reached the quarter-final before losing away to First Division Galway United, 4–0 in a performance described as "embarrassing" by O'Donnell.
In the Leinster Senior Cup, they were initially ejected from the tournament for failing to fulfil a fourth-round tie against Shelbourne. That decision was overturned on appeal by the club but they exited the tournament anyway, losing the tie 4–0.
In the Europa Conference League, Dundalk reached the second qualifying round with a 3–1 aggregate win over Bruno's Magpies but were knocked out by KA, 5–3 on aggregate. Andy Boyle took the club record for appearances in Europe, playing his 41st match in the second leg against KA.

### First-Team Squad (2023)

Sources: Note: Substitute appearances in brackets
| No. | Name | DOB | Pos. | Debut | League | League | FAI Cup | FAI Cup | Europe | Europe | Leinster Cup | Leinster Cup | Totals | Totals |
| No. | Name | DOB | Pos. | Debut | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | Nathan Shepperd | 10 September 2000 | GK | 2022 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| 2 | Archie Davies | 7 October 1998 | DF | 2023 | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| 3 | Darragh Leahy | 15 April 1998 | DF | 2020 | 20 (4) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| 4 | Andy Boyle | 7 March 1991 | DF | 2013 | 17 (1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| 5 | Louie Annesley | 3 May 2000 | DF | 2023 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 |
| 6 | Alfie Lewis | 28 September 1999 | MF | 2022 | 11 (14) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| 7 | Daniel Kelly | 21 May 1996 | MF | 2019 | 15 (12) | 8 | 2 (1) | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 9 |
| 8 | Robbie Benson | 7 May 1992 | MF | 2016 | 9 (5) | 1 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| 9 | Patrick Hoban | 28 July 1991 | FW | 2013 | 24 (10) | 14 | 1 (1) | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 15 |
| 10 | Greg Sloggett | 3 July 1996 | MF | 2020 | 26 (1) | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | 3 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 11 | John Martin | 5 January 1999 | MF | 2022 | 15 (17) | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 (3) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 8 |
| 13 | Peter Cherrie | 1 October 1983 | GK | 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Cameron Elliott | 27 May 1999 | FW | 2023 | 8 (15) | 1 | 0 (2) | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| 15 | Daryl Horgan | 10 August 1992 | FW | 2014 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
| 16 | Hayden Muller | 7 February 2002 | DF | 2023 | 27 (6) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 2 |
| 17 | Keith Ward | 12 October 1990 | MF | 2011 | 5 (15) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| 18 | Robert McCourt | 6 April 1998 | DF | 2022 | 8 (5) | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 19 | Darren Brownlie | 10 April 1994 | DF | 2023 | 7 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 20 | Johannes Yli-Kokko | 24 August 2001 | MF | 2023 | 23 (5) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 |
| 21 | Paul Doyle | 10 April 1998 | MF | 2022 | 11 (14) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
| 22 | Wasiri Williams | 1 April 2000 | DF | 2023 | 10 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 22 | Sam Durrant | 16 February 2002 | Winger | 2023 | 4 (6) | 2 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| 23 | John Mountney | 22 February 1993 | MF | 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Connor Malley | 20 March 2000 | MF | 2023 | 26 (6) | 3 | 2 (1) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 3 |
| 28 | Ryan O'Kane | 16 August 2003 | Winger | 2021 | 17 (17) | 3 | 2 (1) | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 3 |
| 29 | Senan Mullen | 28 February 2005 | MF | 2023 | 2 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 77 | Rayhaan Tulloch | 20 January 2001 | Winger | 2023 | 14 (5) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 |

## Competitions

Win  Draw  Loss

### Premier Division
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 3 | St Patrick's Athletic | 36 | 19 | 5 | 12 | 59 | 42 | +17 | 62 | Qualification for Conference League second qualifying round |
| 4 | Shelbourne | 36 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 44 | 27 | +17 | 60 | Qualification for Conference League first qualifying round |
| 5 | Dundalk | 36 | 17 | 7 | 12 | 59 | 44 | +15 | 58 | |
| 6 | Bohemians | 36 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 53 | 40 | +13 | 58 | |
| 7 | Drogheda United | 36 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 40 | 54 | −14 | 41 | |
* ↑ signed 2 August 2023 ahead of Round 26
* ↑ signed 6 July 2023 ahead of Round 25
* ↑ on season-long loan from HJK
* ↑ on loan from Swansea City until Round 21
* ↑ signed 2 August 2023 ahead of Round 26
* ↑ on loan from West Brom until Round 24
* ↑ The 2023 FAI Cup winners qualified for the Conference League second qualifying round. Since the cup winners (St Patrick's Athletic) qualified based on league position, the second Conference League first qualifying round spot was passed to the fourth-placed team.

### UEFA Europa Conference League
#### First qualifying round

Dundalk won 3–1 on aggregate.

#### Second qualifying round

KA won 5–3 on aggregate.

## Awards
### Player of the Month

| Month | Player | Reference |
| June | Patrick Hoban | |