New Dundalk owner heartbroken to quit Kerry but couldn't turn down opportunity

Brian Ainscough insists he is ‘heartbroken’ to depart Kerry FC but stresses it would take another 10 years with the startup to reach the level of Dundalk.

Activists at the league’s newest club were reported to be shocked when they discovered the Dublin-born, Boston-based businessman switched his ownership interests to Dundalk this week.

The other US investors he attracted to First Division Kerry are staying put while he embarks on a crusade to restore Dundalk to European competition next year.

That’s his immediate aim at the Premier Division club.

Speaking at the club’s Oriel Park venue today once the final details on the takeover were completed, he outlined the background to assuming ownership. 

He purchased the Louth club from local businessmen, StatsSports duo Sean O’Connor and Alan Clarke along with Andy Connolly, who were two years at the helm stabilising the turbulent legacy of Peak 6’s four-year tenure.

Cabra native Ainscough lined out for Home Farm and Drogheda United in the League of Ireland but is best known as chief executive of Boston Bolts, the US League Two club with a player membership of 2000 across the state of Massachusetts.

“I know Sean,” he said of the initial contact. “I do a bit of business with him with my club in America with StatSports and we were really calling just for a chat about business and it came up about five weeks ago.

“I asked about Dundalk and I’d sent a couple of people from America to actually chat with him about investing in the club before and he started to talk to me more in-depth about it.

“He wanted to get out of it. He was just trying to do it so I listened to more of what he was talking about and I thought maybe I’d be interested in this.

“He started to send me information