Rathfarnham, Dublin · DDSL · 2026–2027
Leicester Celtic FC
Grassroots football from Loreto Park, carrying a 1967 club story and a broad youth pathway in South Dublin.
Club identity
A Rathfarnham club with a distinctive name
Leicester Celtic Football Club was founded in 1967 by Michael Flaherty and Father C. F. Lee, then a curate in Rathgar parish. The club took its name from Leicester Avenue in return for parish support; it is not connected to the English club with the same name. Leicester Celtic began with one under-17 team and expanded quickly as the South Dublin catchment grew.
The connected IYF record places the club in Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, with DDSL youth football linked to the 2026–2027 season. The historical narrative and the live team record are kept separate so each age group remains easy to follow.
Youth pathway
Academy football and DDSL age groups
Leicester Celtic introduced mini leagues for younger players in 1977 and launched six-a-side football in 1986, two examples of the club’s long interest in age-appropriate small-sided football. The official club site currently promotes academy registration and a youth programme based at Loreto Park, alongside girls’ and boys’ football across its wider club structure.
Exact 2026–2027 squads, age groups, divisions and competition links are supplied by the native Teams module. That live relationship is the right place to check a player’s current team rather than relying on historical age-group references.
Colours and crest
Navy, silver and Dublin red
The DDSL record lists white as the home colour and red as the change colour. The circular crest adds a deep navy field, a silver castle, white lettering and the words “Dublin” and “Founded 1967” in red, creating a clear local identity rather than a borrowed English one.
The enhanced crest in the opening panel keeps the castle, lettering and founding mark recognisable while adding a polished three-dimensional finish. Native club and team cards continue to carry the same canonical identity through the season modules.
Loreto Park
Football facilities in Nutgrove
Leicester Celtic’s home is Loreto Park in Rathfarnham, with the club’s contact record giving Grange Manor Road, Dublin 14, D14 X4F1. The published facilities information describes a full-size all-weather pitch, a seven-a-side all-weather pitch, grass pitches, changing rooms, showers, a gym and a coffee shop.
The club’s pitches information also describes a floodlit all-weather facility and a clubhouse used by the youth academy, underage teams, senior teams and girls’ football teams. Fixture cards remain the best place to confirm the exact pitch and kick-off for a particular age group.
History and honours
From Marlay Park to a modern football base
Early Leicester Celtic teams played in Dartry and Bushy Park before moving to Marlay Park in 1975. A later move to Loreto Park gave the club a settled home, and the 2025 development added a second all-weather playing facility and a dedicated visual training room.
The club’s youth pathway has helped players reach higher levels, with the official history naming Josh O’Dwyer, Freddie Turvey and Republic of Ireland senior international Gavin Bazunu among players who progressed from Leicester Celtic. Current fixtures, results and standings should be read from the connected modules rather than inferred from these historical milestones.
Community and joining
A welcoming South Dublin football base
Leicester Celtic combines a local club identity with facilities designed for regular training, matches and community use. The club publishes academy registration, membership, camps, fundraising, safeguarding and parent information through its current channels, giving families a clear route into the programme.
Before joining, families should confirm the current age-group place, fees, training schedule, contact route and any equipment or facility rules with the club. The live IYF teams, fixtures, results and standings connections then provide the season-specific record for each registered squad.
