James “Jimmy” Dunne, Irish footballer who played for, among others, Shamrock Rovers F.C., Sheffield United F.C., Arsenal F.C. and Southampton F.C., is born on September 3, 1905, in Ringsend, Dublin. Dunne is also a dual internationalist and plays for both Ireland teams: the FAI XI and the IFA XI. Dunne holds the all-time record of consecutive goals scored at the elite level of English football.

Dunne is the first Irishman to figure prominently in the English Football League scoring records. In the 1930–1931 season he scores 41 league goals for Sheffield United. This becomes a club record and remains the most league goals scored by an Irishman during a single English League season.

In the 1931–1932 season, he scores in twelve consecutive matches. This is the all-time record of consecutive goals scored at the elite level of English football. Dunne also scores 30 or more First Division goals in three consecutive seasons between 1930 and 1933. He excels at either centre forward or inside forward and is outstanding with his head. On September 27, 1930 he scores a hat-trick of headers against Portsmouth F.C.. He is a fringe member of the great Arsenal F.C. side of the 1930s before finishing his career at Shamrock Rovers F.C.

Dunne dies suddenly from a heart attack in Dublin, at the age of 44, on November 14, 1949. His two sons, Tommy and Jimmy, also play in the League of Ireland for St. Patrick’s Athletic F.C. Tommy also plays for Shamrock Rovers F.C. His nephew, another Tommy Dunne, also plays for Rovers and another nephew Christy Doyle, plays for Shelbourne F.C. and the Republic of Ireland.