RUFC Club Newsletter - February 2026
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This month we’re catching up with club legends and academy graduates, looking back on teams on tour, and reflecting on the club’s history and roots.
RUFC Legends: Thomas Macken
You don’t stay at one club for the best part of two decades by accident.
Teams fold, squads thin out, players move on.
But Thomas Macken is still here.
Still here at 25. Having played for Raheny since he was a small child. Now the captain of our senior men's side, marshalling things from centre-back, sometimes right-back, and part of a squad in the middle of another title push. It's been quite the journey.
He is one of a number in the dressing room who can say they've been at Raheny "since the start".
What Macken means by "the start" isn't just the start of his personal journey, but also the start of Raheny's academy. Before his group, there wasn't any organised football available for kids so young at our club.
As we talk through it, what stands out is just how much football he has already packed in by the age of 25.
Macken’s first memories of the club go back to when he was five years old, turning up at St Anne's park for those initial sessions run by Barry Carroll and Lar Flood.
Football didn’t arrive in one defining moment for Macken. It was simply always there. Day in, day out. Daily games in school with a tennis ball or a crushed Coke can when there was no ball, then home and out to play again with his mates. Weekends were organised around whatever match was to be played and travel arrangements. Home or away? Who was driving? What time to be ready?
As he moved into his teenage years, he was faced with a common decision made by lads his age; a strong group from his age group were being tempted by other Dublin clubs, with Shels the destination for many. Macken, though, chose to stay.
“A good group of lads, probably our best lads, were moving to Shelbourne. At the time, I had no interest really. I felt I wanted to stay at Raheny and keep things going the way they were!”
A tough decision at the time. And it didn’t make life easy at first. Not long after, there simply weren’t enough players left at his age group to field a Raheny team, and the side folded later that year.
To keep playing, Macken moved up an age group with his uncle Ken Branigan’s Raheny side, before later having stopgap seasons with Bohemians in the NDSL and another with Portmarnock. It kept him ticking over, but none of it felt permanent.
He always intended to return to Raheny, if and when the chance presented itself.
And then it did.
What began as a casual conversation in the Raheny Inn between Joey Feeney and Macken’s dad about the lack of a team for that age group ended with Joey offering, after a bit of persuasion, to step in and manage.
Joey Feeney would enlist the help of Rinaldo Andreuchetti to rebuild an age group that had been without a Raheny team for a couple of seasons.
With that decision made, there was work to do. Macken also helped rebuild the squad himself, ringing around former Raheny teammates and convincing school friends to give the club a go.
“We started ringing around, getting people back to the club, and getting a few players who never played for Raheny as well. It took some time to pull it all together.”
Two of those were Luke Hempenstall and Jake Boyle. Hempenstall is still there now, scoring regularly and forming part of the spine of the team that followed.
That under-18 group stuck together and quickly got their house in order, entering the Leinster Senior League the following season at under-19 level, a first for any Raheny side.
Macken captained the team through what remains one of his standout football memories; a league victory.
In January 2020, after grinding through a hard season, they finally got the title over the line. The league was decided on the last day, away to Finglas United, and it took a late winner to do it. Final score: Finglas United 1–2 Raheny. A day that squad will never forget.
It was a landmark moment for the club at the time.
The Raheny United News wrote:
Huge congrats to our U19 team on winning the Leinster Senior League yesterday. Goals from Conor Greene and a late late winner from Ciaran Mc Garry ensured the silverware came home. A brilliant achievement from all the lads with a team including many members of the first ever academy from the club all those years ago.
Winning a Leinster League at under-19 level, against established Dublin sides, was something no Raheny side had done before. It was just before football shut down due to Covid, so there was still time for big celebrations with players, families, former coaches and familiar faces all there to celebrate the league trophy arriving back to the clubhouse.
When football resumed after Covid, that group tried to step into senior football together, entering Premier Sunday in the Leinster League. Early results were tough, numbers were tight, and the club made the call to merge the group with the existing AUL senior side. James O’Neill took charge from that point on, and from there, the current senior setup began to take shape.
More progress quickly followed. Promotion first, then a Major One Sunday league title, another notable senior trophy for the club, and another step up into Intermediate 1B.
In their second season at Intermediate 1B now, the side are flying and right up near the top end of the table. No surprise for a group that’s grown from strength to strength together over the years.
We’d nearly finished the phone call when Macken eagerly stressed he needed to thank some people.
He’s worried he’ll forget someone.
Barry Carroll and Lar Flood from the academy.
Chico Mifsud and Rinaldo Andreuchetti from the early years.
Joey Feeney for stepping in when an age group was close to disappearing.
He is also keen to single out James “Nailer” O’Neill for the standards he sets, not just on match days but in the work that goes on behind the scenes!
Not forgetting Mick Kelly and Mark Ryan for driving the group on and keeping things moving in the right direction.
Finally, Macken credits his parents for the role they played throughout his football journey.
Early mornings, long drives across Dublin, and constant support over the years!
Players like Thomas Macken who have come up all the way through the ranks, who are local and tied to the club, are invaluable to Raheny United. For a club built on community, volunteers and continuity, Macken’s story is a clear example of what our club is all about.
YOUR NEWSLETTER NEEDS YOU 🫵
So much is happening across the club and our newsletter is growing month on month! We're looking for a volunteer to help us share the stories that make the club special. If you can chat to people, gather a few notes or pull content together, we’d love to hear from you. The role is very flexible, just a few hours a month, with lots of support provided.
Interested? Get in touch by emailing info@rahenyunited.ie
Women's football at Raheny United; a short history
Women’s football has been a huge part of Raheny United’s story for well over a decade and one of the club’s proudest chapters.
In August 2011, Raheny were named as one of the founding clubs of the new national women’s league, run by the Football Association of Ireland. From day one, the team set the tone. In their first season, 2011–12, Raheny finished runners up, pushing all the way to the end.
What followed was a golden spell. Raheny won back to back league titles in 2012–13 and 2013–14 and lifted the FAI Women’s Cup three years in a row from 2012 to 2014.
Week in, week out, the team were setting standards on and off the pitch and putting the club firmly on the national map.
That success carried into Europe. Raheny competed in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, finishing third in their qualifying group in 2013–14. The following season they made history, becoming the first Irish women’s side to qualify from the group stage with a 100 percent record, beating teams from Romania, Bulgaria and Malta before bowing out to Bristol Academy in the last 32.
Along the way, Raheny was home to a remarkable group of players, many of them Irish internationals, including Katie McCabe, Megan Campbell, Noelle Murray, Ciara Grant, Siobhan Killeen, Rebecca Creagh and Niamh Reid Burke.
For everyone involved at the time, players, coaches, volunteers and supporters, it was a special period that still means a lot to the club today. The impact of that team is still felt around Raheny, and it remains a benchmark for what’s possible when a community gets behind women’s football.
RUFC on tour: Lapland
Over the Christmas break in December 2025, a group from Raheny United swapped St Anne’s Park for the snow and ice of Lapland in northern Finland. Flying into Kittila made it clear we were a long way from home, with frozen runways and snow in every direction. We stayed in Levi, surrounded by forests where the trees were bent over under the weight of ice and snow. Tobogganing quickly became a daily activity, using a ski slope that ran down onto a frozen lake. There were plenty of falls and plenty of laughs. A snowmobile safari was another highlight, with the group racing across frozen lakes in conditions very different from home. We also did husky and reindeer safaris, which were a real highlight and something most of us had never experienced before. One evening we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights above the cabins, which stopped everyone in their tracks for a few minutes. Food was an unexpected talking point, with a surprising amount of salads, despite the cold. Hot chocolate, however, was everywhere and very welcome. The group returned to Dublin tired but in great form, with plenty of stories and photos from a memorable trip away together.
Behind the Boots
We get to know some of the players who make our club great! 💪
⭐️ Introducing Alex Ó Mórdha⭐️
What team do you play for and what position do you play?
Left side of midfield for Raheny United U11's.
Who's your football idol or who do you look up to?
Ronaldo.
What's your favourite memory at the club so far?
Scoring the winner from the halfway line against Clontarf last year.
You're being sent to a desert island 🏝️ What three items would you bring and why?
A football, a lifetime supply of snacks and one of my friends to play football with!
This or That Alex? 🤔
Left foot or right - right
Winning or playing well- winning
Practice dribbling or practice passing- practice dribbling
Xbox or Playstation- Playstation
Summer or Winter- Summer
Halloween or Christmas- Christmas
Spice bag or 4 in 1- spice bag
Cats or dogs- dogs
Sweet or savoury- sweet
Pool or beach - beach
RUFC on tour: Manchester
The Under 12 Premier Girls travelled to Manchester a few weeks ago for a two-game trip.
They played the Manchester United Girls Academy on Friday 9 January, followed by Wythenshawe FC Girls on the Saturday. Both matches were keenly contested, with a draw against Manchester United and Wythenshawe coming out on top the following day.
Both clubs were extremely welcoming and accommodating, and it is a trip we will definitely look to repeat. A special word of thanks goes to coach Dave O’Regan, who organised the entire weekend from start to finish. Brilliant work. The trip was made even more special by the fact that all 14 players travelled with their parent or parents, making it a great experience for everyone involved. The girls were a credit to Raheny United both on and off the pitch, and it is a trip that will live long in their memories, and most of the parents’ too.
Time to Talk Day - Thursday 5th February
This week marks Time to Talk Day, a day supported by organisations and communities across Ireland and beyond. This initiative encourages open conversations about mental health, well-being and helps reduce stigma by reminding us that a simple chat can make all the difference.
At our club, football is about more than just match results, it's about community, connection and belonging. This week, why not take a moment to check in with a team mate or a friend - remembering that a simple chat can have a big impact, especially during the long winter months. Let's keep our club a warm, welcoming place, both on and off the pitch.
Raheny Rookies
The Academy has been back up and running for the last couple of weeks, and it’s been fantastic to see the kids back on the pitch with such great excitement and energy!
Over the coming weeks, we’re looking forward to getting teams organised and ready for matches taking place in the next few months.
To help us keep things running smoothly, we are also seeking additional volunteers to support the academy and match days. If you can assist in any way, even occasionally, we would love to hear from you - all help is greatly appreciated.
For more information or to get involved, please contact officeadmin@rahenyunited.ie
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
A massive THANK YOU to our incredible sponsors Company Bureau for their continued support of the club! You truly make all the difference.
Pictured below are Andy Lambe, Managing Director of Company Bureau and coach of our U14.9 team, with his son Ciarán, who also plays on the squad. Andy is shown proudly wearing his Raheny United gear while taking part in last week's Axa Raheny 5 - a fantastic club man, always representing!
Thank you Company Bureau for your ongoing commitment to Raheny United.
No ref. No game
A quick reminder to all Raheny United members.
We are a club that respects referees at all times. Without them, there is no game. Simple as that.
Raheny United fully supports the No Ref, No Game campaign and stands behind every referee who gives their time so our players can play.
Let’s set the standard on the sidelines and on the pitch. Respect the referee. Respect the game.
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 town,your club. Get involved!
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