Gerry McDermott is Soccer Correspondent with the Irish Independent and a former president of the Soccer Writer’s Association of Ireland. In a near 25-year career in journalism he has reported on all aspects of football in Ireland having worked in the provincial and national sectors of both the print and broadcasting media.

Born in the town of Dundalk, Gerry still lives just outside the town limits and remains a lifelong supporter of Dundalk F.C. His favourite number is rumoured to be nine, the number of times Dundalk have won both the League Championship and the FAI Cup.

Gerry commenced his journalistic career with the Donegal Democrat in 1982 and contributed to the paper over a seven year period before leaving in 1989 to enter the world of broadcasting with LFM Radio. In 1992 he joined the staff at the Evening Press where he remained until its’ untimely closure in the summer of 1995.A two and a half year stint with The Star followed before Gerry joined the Independent in January 1998.

In his seven and a half year period with the ‘Indo’, Gerry has covered numerous events relating to Irish football from Brian Kerr’s underage European Championship victories through the Eircom Park saga, the Sky TV Rights deal in 2002, Saipan and the consequent Genesis Report and of course the Croke Park debate.

Gerry’s career in Journalism has brought him into contact with many ‘colourful characters’ and into a varied range of ‘interesting’ situations with which he will regale us at Friday's club meeting.