19 November 1967 - O'Connor's Quick 1-2-3

On 19 November 1967, 19-year old Shelbourne forward Jimmy O'Connor scored a hat-trick against Bohemians in the record time of 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

An inside right, O'Connor was in his third year with the Dublin club, having joined them for the 1965-66 season. And before he left in 1972, he scored a total of 26 goals in 109 league appearances, but none more memorable than the three he netted against Bohemians.

His first goal came in the 54th minute, as a seven-player build-up ended with O'Connor firing a right-footed shot past the opposing goalkeeper from a tight angle. One minute and 25 seconds later, O'Connor latched on to a cross from Mick Conroy and chipped the keeper for his second goal of the day. Then, only 49 seconds after that, he headed the ball into the net from a cross to complete his rapid-fire hat-trick. Shelbourne won the match, 3-2.

For a time, many believed O'Connor's hat-trick was a world record, but evidence later surfaced of an even faster one--Tommy Ross had scored three goals in a total of 90 seconds for Scottish club Ross County against Nairn County in 1964. But O'Connor's performance remains an Irish record and a tremendous accomplishment.

1 April 1984 - Irish Luck Returns To Rovers

On 1 April 1984, Shamrock Rovers beat Shelbourne 3-1, securing their first league title in 20 years. It was a major stepping stone in Rovers' establishment as the most successful club in Ireland.

Rovers were founded in Dublin in 1901, but struggled during their early years and twice went through a cycle of disbanding and resurrection between 1906 and 1921. In 1922, one year after their second resurrection, the League of Ireland elected Rovers as a member. It was a turning point for the club, who won the league title that season. By 1949, Rovers were the dominant team in Ireland, having won 44 major trophies, including six league titles and 11 FAI Cups.

The club struggled through the 1970s, coinciding with a general decline in fortunes for Irish football, as match attendances diminished and two clubs - Drumcondra and Cork Hibs - disbanded. Rovers finished at the bottom of the table in 1975 and had to re-apply for admission to the league.

In 1983, Rovers signed new manager Jim McLaughlin, who set about rebuilding the squad from the ground up. He released the majority of the players he inherited from the previous manager and spent freely to replace them with stars from around the league. That approach proved successful, as Rovers' win over Shelbourne on 1 April 1984 clinched their first league title since 1964. They went on to win three more consecutive titles, though only two were under McLaughlin, who left in 1986 to manage his hometown club Derry City (leading them to a domestic treble in 1989, when they won the the league, the FAI Cup and the League Cup).

Rovers currently hold records for most League of Ireland titles (17), FAI Cups (24), and League of Ireland Shields (18). 

19 November 1967 - O'Connor's Quick 1-2-3

On 19 November 1967, 19-year old Shelbourne forward Jimmy O'Connor scored a hat-trick against Bohemians in the record time of 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

An inside right, O'Connor was in his third year with the Dublin club, having joined them for the 1965-66 season. And before he left in 1972, he scored a total of 26 goals in 109 league appearances, but none more memorable than the three he netted against Bohemians.

His first goal came in the 54th minute, as a seven-player build-up ended with O'Connor firing a right-footed shot past the opposing goalkeeper from a tight angle. One minute and 25 seconds later, O'Connor latched on to a cross from Mick Conroy and chipped the keeper for his second goal of the day. Then, only 49 seconds after that, he headed the ball into the net from a cross to complete his rapid-fire hat-trick. Shelbourne won the match, 3-2.

For a time, many believed O'Connor's hat-trick was a world record, but evidence later surfaced of an even faster one--Tommy Ross had scored three goals in a total of 90 seconds for Scottish club Ross County against Nairn County in 1964. But O'Connor's performance remains an Irish record and a tremendous accomplishment.

1 April 1984 - Irish Luck Returns To Rovers

On 1 April 1984, Shamrock Rovers beat Shelbourne 3-1, securing their first league title in 20 years. It was a major stepping stone in Rovers' establishment as the most successful club in Ireland.

Rovers were founded in Dublin in 1901, but struggled during their early years and twice went through a cycle of disbanding and resurrection between 1906 and 1921. In 1922, one year after their second resurrection, the League of Ireland elected Rovers as a member. It was a turning point for the club, who won the league title that season. By 1949, Rovers were the dominant team in Ireland, having won 44 major trophies, including six league titles and 11 FAI Cups.

The club struggled through the 1970s, coinciding with a general decline in fortunes for Irish football, as match attendances diminished and two clubs - Drumcondra and Cork Hibs - disbanded. Rovers finished at the bottom of the table in 1975 and had to re-apply for admission to the league.

In 1983, Rovers signed new manager Jim McLaughlin, who set about rebuilding the squad from the ground up. He released the majority of the players he inherited from the previous manager and spent freely to replace them with stars from around the league. That approach proved successful, as Rovers' win over Shelbourne on 1 April 1984 clinched their first league title since 1964. They went on to win three more consecutive titles, though only two were under McLaughlin, who left in 1986 to manage his hometown club Derry City (leading them to a domestic treble in 1989, when they won the the league, the FAI Cup and the League Cup).

Rovers currently hold records for most League of Ireland titles (15), FAI Cups (24), and League of Ireland Shields (18). They narrowly missed adding to their tally last season, finishing in second place, four points behind league winners Bohemians.

31 March 2002 - Bohemian Rhapsody

On 31 March 2002, Bohemian F.C. of Dublin beat Shelbourne F.C. 4-0 on the last day of the Irish Premier League season, starting a run of 23 matches in which they scored at least one goal. Despite the loss, Shelbourne finished at the top of the Irish Premier League table, with Bohemians in fourth position.

Bohemians' streak carried them through the first 22 matches of the 2002-2003 season, with 14 wins and 7 draws. Their only loss during that run was a 1-2 home defeat to Shelbourne. The biggest wins were the first one over Shelbourne to start the streak and a similar 4-0 home victory over Bray Wanderers, which was also the Bohs' biggest win that season. The streak ended on 27 December 2002 when Bohemians failed to score away to St. Patrick's Athletic, losing 2-0.

Bohemians lost only three matches that season and captured the Irish Premier League title (their ninth) just five points ahead of second-place Shelbourne.

Bohemians and Shelbourne have a long history, being the only two clubs that have been members of the League of Ireland, Irish football's governing body, since its inception in 1921 (it was replaced by the FAI League of Ireland in 2007).