Welcome to the first Raheny United newsletter of the new season!
It's been a busy summer at the club, with another hugely successful Mini Leagues, some fantastic achievements on the pitch and exciting developments off it. With the new season now well underway, it's great to see everyone back enjoying their football!
Raheny United Senior Women Crowned League Champions!
A fantastic achievement for Raheny United's Senior Women's team, who were crowned. EWFL League 1 Champions in September following an outstanding season! The team secured the league title in style with an impressive 4–1 victory away to Stepaside, bringing a brilliant campaign to a fitting conclusion. The title is a testament to the hard work, determination and team spirit shown by the players throughout the season, and a well-deserved reward for their commitment and performances on the pitch.
A special mention and huge thank you to James, Brian, Glenn and Cormac for their dedication and hard work behind the scenes throughout the campaign.
Also, a massive thank you to sponsors Baby Gra and Costello Accommodation for their continued support.
This is a wonderful achievement for the team and a proud moment for Raheny United, providing plenty of inspiration for the next generation of girls coming through the club.
Congratulations to everyone involved - EWFL League 1 Champions!
Action-Packed Pre-Season Has U10.1 Ready for the Step Up to 7-a-Side Football
This summer marked the first big transition for the U10.1 team since graduating from the Academy.
Having consulted with Director of Football Paul McAtee and coaches of teams from previous years (Adam, Roberto, Bren & Govie), the U10.1 coaching team took the advice on board and rested for June before starting pre-season straight after the mini leagues to get the boys accustomed to 7-a-side football.
After surviving the “Sahara Desert” type conditions in St Anne’s in July, the newly formed squad got to grips with the rules and bigger pitch with some in-house games vs John Blake’s U11s.
The boys were all set for competitive games come August. The schedule was organised for training on Tuesday, a match on Thursday evening and a tournament each week during the month.
This kicked off in Navan, with the boys taking home the Shield in the Parkvilla Cup. This was followed up the next week by a narrow 2-1 loss in the semi-final of the Cup to eventual winners Cherry Orchard in the Leicester Celtic Trophy.
Next stop was a trip the following week to the Eve Hardy Cup in Templeogue Utd, which saw the boys crowned overall winners.
The final event before the season started saw the boys go up against strong opposition at the Sport Ireland Campus for the ENG International Cup. The U10.1 team went all the way to the final, losing out in a close game to St Joseph’s but securing a place at the ENG International Cup Grand Finals at Wycombe Wanderers FC Football Stadium in June 2027.
The team's strong pre-season performances are a testament to the commitment of the players, parents and coaches.
Thanks to everyone in the Club who gave the team great support throughout the summer and to our sponsors J Vaughan Electrical and Perigord for their generosity.
All that hard work has carried through, with the team enjoying a really positive start to the new season.
U13 A1 Girls Shine in 4–2 Victory Over Ballyfermot United
Our U13 A1 girls put in a fantastic performance on 18 October, coming away with a well-deserved 4–2 victory against Ballyfermot United in an entertaining and competitive league match.
The girls started brightly, scoring within the first three minutes after Tia Radley Hoyle dispossessed an opposition defender before running through to score her second goal of the season. From there, Ballyfermot battled back to make things difficult for the girls, with goalkeeper Amelia Ferguson making some vital first-half saves. Captain Isabel Geraghty worked tirelessly at right-back, not only helping to ensure the girls maintained their advantage but also proving to be an attacking threat with her driving runs from defence.
The girls conceded with five minutes remaining in the first half and went into the break level in what had been an evenly contested game, despite Elzee Mae Murray's venomous strike being tipped onto the upright by the Ballyfermot goalkeeper. However, Murray was not to be denied at the start of the second half, as she ran onto an Elle O'Doherty through ball and fired the girls back in front.
Our girls showed great character whenever they came under pressure. Defensively, the team worked tirelessly to protect their lead, with Siun Daly, Zoe Latten and Niamh O'Doherty standing strong at the back throughout the second half to ensure Raheny remained in front. On the right wing, Sophie O'Connor's relentless efforts caused all sorts of problems for the Ballyfermot defence. Raheny United then went 3-1 up when a long ball from Freyja Dunne found winger Jess McGovern, who whipped in an excellent cross to Lelia "Jimbo" O'Regan. She initially forced a fine save from the goalkeeper before smashing home the rebound to make it 3-1.
Sophie Kirrane then produced the goal of the game. Following great battling from midfielder Layla Grant, Elzee Mae Murray slid the ball into Kirrane on the edge of the box, and she curled an unstoppable strike past the Ballyfermot netminder. A rocket into the top corner!
Ballyfermot grabbed a consolation goal right at the end after some good play down the wing to make it 4-2, but it wasn't enough to stop Raheny from claiming a deserved victory on the day.
Most pleasing of all was the team's attitude and effort from start to finish. Every player contributed, supporting one another and playing with confidence, determination and belief. The 4-2 win was a reward for their hard work, commitment and excellent teamwork, and they should all be very proud of their performance.
Raheny United Announces Affiliation with Shamrock Rovers FC
In August, Raheny United announced an exciting new affiliation with Shamrock Rovers FC, marking a positive step forward in the continued development of our players and coaches.
The partnership will provide talented players across our boys’ and girls’ teams with a potential pathway into League of Ireland football, while allowing them to continue their development at Raheny United for as long as possible.
It will also create valuable opportunities for players and coaches to benefit from high-quality coaching, competitive games and shared learning experiences.
We look forward to building on this relationship and the opportunities it will bring to our club in the years ahead.
Raheny Rookies
The academy returned in September, and it’s been great to see the kids enjoying their football and having so much fun.
We’ve also welcomed a number of new, young coaches this season, who are doing a brilliant job with the kids and really enjoying their coaching experience.
It’s great to see the enthusiasm from both the players and coaches as we continue to develop their skills, build confidence and, most importantly, help them enjoy the game.
Welcoming Our New Corporate Partners
We are delighted to welcome a growing number of corporate partners who have come on board with Raheny United in recent months. Their generous support plays an important role in helping us continue to develop our club, improve our facilities and provide opportunities for players of all ages. We would like to sincerely thank each of our new partners for their commitment to Raheny United and look forward to building strong and lasting relationships.
Interested in Becoming a Corporate Partner?
We would love to hear from businesses interested in supporting Raheny United and becoming part of our growing club community. For more information, please contact chair@rahenyunited.ie.
Coming Soon – Corporate Partner Spotlight!
We're introducing a new Corporate Partner Spotlight feature in our newsletter.
The feature will highlight some of the businesses supporting Raheny United and introduce the people behind them.
Would you like your business to feature? We'd love to hear from you, so please get in touch
Behind the Boots
Coach Spotlight – Kate Duffy
Can you tell us a little about your involvement with Raheny United and how it all began?
The club has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My grandad, Billy Page, was Club Secretary for Dunseedy Utd and my dad played, so I grew up around it. After the amalgamation, I spent years hoping for a girls’ team. When one finally started, I joined as a teenager and played through to the senior women’s team in my early twenties. I’ve coached in the academy and with various teams over the years, and I’m now one of the coaches for our U9 girls, where my daughter plays. I also worked in the bar when it first opened, and more recently I’ve taken on the role of football administrator, so I’m back working for the club.
What do you enjoy most about your role at the club?
What I enjoy most now is seeing how much the club has evolved and expanded while still feeling very community and family oriented, and especially how far girls’ football has come, with more and more girls getting involved.
What's your favourite memory from your time at Raheny United?
A former teammate recently shared the 2003 season team scoresheet she had found with me, which showed I’d won Most Improved Player that year, as voted by my teammates. I’m still not sure whether I had a really good year or started off really bad!
What's something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I spent four summers coaching football at Camp Romaca, a summer camp in Massachusetts. It was an amazing experience.
This or That Kate?
Early kick-off or late kick-off? Early
Training nights or matchdays? Training
Winning or playing well? Playing well
Extra time or penalties? Extra time
Home games or away games? Home
Coffee or tea? Tea
Sweet or savoury? Sweet
Beach holiday or city break? City break
Night out or night in? Night in
Plan everything or go with the flow? Plan everything
Player Spotlight – Grace Duffy
What team do you play for and what's your favourite thing about football?
I play for Raheny u9's girls. My favourite thing about football is having fun with my teammates.
Who's your favourite football player?
Katie McCabe and Troy Parrot.
What's the best thing about playing for Raheny United?
The new friends I have made.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
Invisibility so I could take cookies.
This or That Grace?
Scoring goals or saving goals? Saving goals
Training or matchdays? Matchdays
Playing in defence or playing up front? Up front
Football in the sunshine or football in the rain? Sunshine
Pizza or burgers? Pizza
Ice cream or chocolate? Ice cream coz you can get chocolate flavour
Dogs or cats? Dogs
Beach or swimming pool? Swimming pool
Singing or dancing? Dancing while singing
Birthday or Christmas? Birthday
Our Team Sponsors
A big thank you to all our team kit sponsors for their generous support of Raheny United. Your contribution makes a real difference to our teams, and we're very grateful for your continued support. a special thank you to the Yoga Lounge for their sponsorship of our U16 Major Boys, and Spectrum Engineering and JA Transport for their sponsorship of U17 Major 1 Boys team.
Our club is growing bigger and bigger - we need volunteers more than ever! If you want to support or volunteer with Raheny United in any capacity, get in touch.
Your town,your club. Get involved!
Volunteer With Us — Raheny United Football Club