O’Hara, Daniel

Personal

Fullname: Daniel O’Hara
aka: Dan O’Hara
Born: 28 September 1937
Birthplace: Airdrie
Signed: 24 April 1959
Left: Aug 1962 (to Albion Rovers)
Position: Inside-Forward
Debut: Celtic 2-0 Kilmarnock, League, 19 Aug 1959
Internationals: none

Biog

Airdrie-born Dan O’Hara joined Celtic in April 1959 from Fauldhouse United.

An inside-forward he made his debut in the 2-0 home league victory over Kilmarnock on 19th August 1959, filling in for Mike Jackson who had been injured in the Glasgow Cup:

“…slick Conway, O’Hara combine…. O’Hara, fast, strong and dangerous… blasted the ball as though he hated the sight of it“.

Charlie Gallacher recalled in an interview on his debut match as below, although note a little erroneous as Charlie Gallacher & Dan O’Hara actually had different debut matches. So really he was referring to his own debut match (22 Aug 1959, Celtic 1-0 Raith Rovers) which was actually Dan O’Hara’s second:

” I remember my first game in 1959 for Celtic when me & Dan O’Hara made our debuts. One or two of the players came up and wished us the best of luck. But me and Dan were just thinking: ‘What do we do?’ The manager Jimmy McGrory came in and said ‘Right Lads, you’re playing for Celtic. Go out and win today.'”

Celtic won the first three matches Dan O’Hara played in with no goals conceded, but he was to be replaced in the first team by the returning John Divers.

Quick and with a renowned rocket shot but Dan O’Hara couldn’t however hold down a regular starting spot, and was used mostly as a fill-in for others. All his matches were in the 1959-60 season.

His most treasured moment would likely have been the solitary goal he scored for the first team, the opening goal in a 3-0 win over St Mirren away on 19 Dec 1959. He was playing in place of the sickly Eric Smith (tonsillitis), and the move paid off:

“Colrain out on the left, took a throw-in Byrne flicked the ball on to Mochan whose parting pass O’Hara skilfully placed between Forsyth and the post”

It was a difficult environment and Celtic were poorly managed (at all levels) during his time at the club. It was barren years for the club in terms of success despite the quality of players at the club.

He managed to have a fair record with the first team in the competitive fixtures, with only one defeat in all those appearances, that defeat disappointingly being his final first team performance (3-2 defeat away to Aberdeen on 6 Feb 1960).

Probably the lowest moment that killed off his long-term opportunities was the heavy 7-1 defeat to Sunderland away in a friendly in January 1960. Not a good memory.

He managed to win a reserve league & reserve league cup medal with Celtic in 1959/60 to take with him. Some have argued that the reserves under Jock Stein were a far better managed and coached side than even the first team.

Dan O’Hara had loans to Cork Hibernian (Oct 1960) and Mansfield Town (June 1961) before he left Parkhead in August 1962 for Albion Rovers after eight senior appearances and one goal.

He was only briefly at Albion Rovers before being freed by them in 1963, with a trial following at Coltness Utd (summer 1963) and then finally signing to Armadale Thistle in July 1963. It doesn’t appear he was able to settle into a senior side after Celtic as a regular player.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

none

Pictures

• Player Pics

Thx to @DannyOHara16 for below:

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