 Despite interest from several British sides Hawkins signed for Irish top flight club St Patrick's Athletic, where he linked up with fellow Bronze medallists from the FIFA World Youth Championships, Trevor Molloy and Thomas Morgan.Hawkins immediately earned a starting spot alongside Packie Lynch and their solid base helped St Pats win the championship in his first season.Hawkins played in the Champions League preliminary round against Celtic in 1998, in a 0–0 draw at Celtic Park.