Rain, rain, go away, come again another day! Despite yet another week of waterlogged pitches, the club is buzzing with lots of exciting news and events. Below are some of the highlights from this month.
Happy Anniversary Raheny United
This year your club turns 30! RUFC's roots date back to the 1960s, when the renowned "Road Leagues" were held in St Anne's Park on pitches 2 and 5. This tournament operated on a unique premise: if you lived on a particular road, you played for that team. Squads from Maryville, Waterfall, Watermill, Ennafort, Howth Rd, St Assam's, Foxfield, and Maywood/Avondale all competed. The leagues drew over 400 boys across various age levels during the summer holidays. From this great local competition emerged two football clubs, Raheny Boys and Dunseedy United.
Throughout the 70s and 80s both clubs competed for limited resources, and eventually merged to become Raheny United in 1994.
Fast forward to 2024, and the club has grown to over 50 teams and 900 players. The trophy cabinet has filled over the years, too, with leagues, cups, and even a UEFA Champions League run along the way!
🥳 Join us on Sunday, May 12th @ 4pm, for an anniversary celebration at the clubhouse. Expect talks, food, live music, and lots of craic with Dunseedy, Raheny Boys, and RUFC members, past and present. Stay tuned for more details in next month’s newsletter.
Meanwhile, you can learn more about the famous road leagues, Dunseedy, Raheny Boys, and Raheny United's history in this terrific pamphlet that Paddy Moore compiled for our 25th anniversary in 2019:
U13s impress on the international stage
The Raheny U13 girls had an unforgettable trip to the 2024 Mediterranean Girls Cup in France last week. The tournament began with a challenging match against CA Plan de Queces, the first in a run of highly competitive games! Despite tough games throughout, including a narrow loss against eventual winners Ballyoulster, our girls showed terrific fight.
A dramatic highlight was Eve Walsh's near-goal against US Carriers Sur Seine; her shot rattling the post and spinning across the line before being cleared. The breakthrough came against Penistone Church FC, with 10-year-old Robyn Knox dazzling the crowd with a sensational run and individual goal!
The semi-final against ESA Linas-Montlhery was a thriller. Hayley Egan scored a last-minute equaliser to take the game to penalties where Robyn, Hayley and Kayleigh converted all 3 of Raheny's spot-kicks. Kayleigh then saved one to send Raheny to the final.
Penistone Church FC ran out winners, leaving Raheny to collect the runners-up spot. Despite this, our girls returned as champions in spirit - a great time was had by all.
Brian Maher trains with the Irish squad
We extend a big congratulations to ex-Raheny academy player Brian Maher on his call up to train with Ireland. The Derry City shot-stopper was invited to train with the boys in green as they prepared for the Switzerland and Belgium games last month. We couldn't be prouder to see one of our own achieving this huge milestone. It's a reminder to all young players that with dedication, perseverance, and lots of practice, anything is possible.
Ex-Raheny stars shine in Irish defeat
Congratulations to former Raheny stars Megan Campbell and Katie McCabe for their excellent contributions against England and France this week! Lets hope the girls can get a better result in their home fixture against Sweden next month.
Our Youth Development Policy
Paul McAtee, with support from coaches across our club, has created an easy-to-read pamphlet which is helpful for coaches, parents, guardians, and players. We encourage everyone to get acquainted with it to ensure clarity on our approach to streaming, development, and coaching strategies club-wide. Below is a summary, but we invite everyone to familiarise themselves with the full pamphlet here (5 min read).
Developing the Women's game at RUFC
Andrew Byrne, director of women's football is this month eager to draw our attention to two exciting opportunities for girls to get involved in football at our club.
Firstly, our U15s Girls (born 2009) team is on the lookout for new players to join. Andrew and team provide a supportive and inclusive environment where girls can develop their skills and passion for the sport. Whether your daughter is a seasoned player or just starting out, Andrew would like to hear from them.
Additionally, Andrew is delighted to announce the return of the hugely popular Disney Playmakers Program, where girls aged 4-8 get to step into the magical world of Disney as they take their first steps on her football journey. This is a FREE program for girls not currently playing football, and begins mid-April.
☎️ Contact Andrew at 086 2750435 for details on the U15 girls team, and the Disney Playmakers Program.
Mulinos and the match at RUFC
🍕⚽️ 👨👨👧👦
Every Sunday at the clubhouse, you and the family can enjoy a delicious Mulinos Italian meal while catching the match on the big screen! Enjoy the convenience of having your food delivered right to your booth in our newly renovated lounge. It's the perfect setting for a relaxed Sunday, complete with a special menu and the excitement of the big game.
MOTD
Leixlip 0-3 Raheny
07/04/24 - Leixlip: Raheny faced off against Leixlip in the U15.5/6 Cup quarterfinal. Despite Leixlip's strong league form making them the favourites, Raheny quickly took the lead with Sam O’Reilly scoring from outside the box. Joe Rafferty increased Raheny's lead with a skillful cut in from the wing, and Ruben Catero made it 3-0 by halftime, finishing off a Luke Gibson free kick. In the second half, Leixlip pressed hard with the wind at their backs. But Raheny held firm, with Alex Spillane delivering an exceptional performance to shut down the Leixlip attack. Goalkeeper Conor Prizeman made numerous crucial saves at key moments, and his precise distribution from goal kicks was instrumental in Raheny's control of the game. Raheny now advance to the semifinals with a home fixture awaiting them.
🏆 Player of the match: Alex Spillane
Raheny 6-0 Dunboyne
07/04/24 - pitch 5: The LFL U19s secured a brilliant 6-0 victory over Dunboyne in the semifinal of the Macron Sports Development Cup. Despite very challenging conditions with the weather working in Dunboynes favour, our lads dominated from start to finish. Eoin Byrne set the tone for the game with a well-taken goal halfway through the first half, giving Raheny a deserved lead. In the second half an early goal from Callum McCullagh extended Raheny's lead, putting Dunboyne on the back foot. Eoin Byrne added to his tally with a clinical breakaway goal, with Charlie Ennis showing great perseverance chasing the ball down and never giving up. The standout moment of the match came courtesy of Callum McCullagh again, who scored a stunning scissor-kick, drawing cheers from both teammates and spectators alike. But McCullagh wasn't finished. No sir. He completed his hat-trick with another well-taken goal, capping off a sensational individual performance. Johnathan Cray put the icing on the cake with a 6th goal for Raheny with just three minutes to go. Looking ahead, Thomas and team await the outcome of the other semifinal between Howth Celtic and Stamullen to discover who they'll meet in the final.
🏆 Player of the match: Callum McCullagh
Golf, anyone? 🏌️♂️
The Raheny United Golf Society is back! 🎉 We're all about bringing folks together, and what better way than a round of golf to do just that? If hitting the greens with a friendly group is your idea of fun, you'll want to get in on this. Our very own Declan Murphy is the man to chat with if you're curious. Give him a bell at +353 86 822 8366 if you are keen so that he can gauge interest and plan the outings.
A huge thank you to our corporate sponsors for their wonderful support!
We're very grateful for the incredible support we receive from our sponsors who enable us to keep the show on the road. This month, we're giving a huge shout-out to Members First Credit Union for renewing their support recently.
If you would like to sponsor Raheny United and feature in our newsletter, get in touch with our chairman Aidan O'Looney on +353 86 228 6883.
We're also delighted to receive support from a whole host of sponsors on an ongoing basis, including:
Your town, your club. Get involved!
If you want to support or volunteer with Raheny United in any capacity, we'd love to hear from you. Get in touch
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