Black and white football in Raheny.
Raheny United FC brings academy players, youth teams and senior football together around St Anne’s Park, All Saints Drive and a large north Dublin volunteer community.
Raheny United identity
Raheny United FC is a Dublin 5 football club based around St Anne’s Park and All Saints Drive. The club carries a black and white striped identity, a green crest detail and a pathway that runs from the youngest academy players into youth and senior football.
The club is one of the major association football names on the northside of Dublin. Its scale comes from senior teams, junior teams, a Saturday academy, clubhouse facilities and a volunteer network that keeps football active across boys, girls, women and men.
All Saints Drive and St Anne’s Park
The clubhouse address is Raheny United Football Club, All Saints Drive, Raheny, Dublin 05, with the D05 FW31 eircode. The football setting sits beside St Anne’s Park, giving the club a parkland base with grass pitches, clubhouse activity and nearby training space.
For visitors, the safest travel plan is to use All Saints Drive and D05 FW31, then allow time for parking and the walk to the correct meeting point. The St Anne’s Park setting is busy, so match day arrivals should respect local homes, park users and other sports activity.
Founded through a 1994 merger
Raheny United was founded in 1994 when Raheny Boys and Dunseedy United came together. That merger created a stronger single football identity for the area and gave the modern club its foundation year.
The 1994 origin still matters because it explains the badge, the community role and the club’s broad pathway. Raheny United was built to serve local football rather than one narrow squad, and that remains central to the club story.
Black and white colours
Raheny United is associated with black and white striped shirts, black shorts and black socks. The colour identity is simple, visible and closely tied to the badge used by the club.
The crest brings the black and white stripes together with a green central emblem, the 1994 foundation marker, the Raheny United name and a football symbol. For families and visiting teams, those details make the club easy to recognise.
A large community club
Raheny United has operated with seven senior teams, forty seven junior teams and its own academy. That makes the club much more than a single match day team and places it among the larger grassroots soccer clubs in Ireland.
A club of that scale needs pitch allocation, coaching, registration, welfare roles, communication, committee work, clubhouse support and parents willing to help. The team count shows the size, but the volunteer structure is what allows that size to function.
Senior football pathway
The senior pathway connects Raheny players with adult football across the Leinster Senior League, the Leinster Football League and the Amateur Football League. Those competitions give older players a route to keep playing after youth football.
Senior teams also give younger players a visible target. A teenager in the club can see where commitment, fitness and steady development may lead inside the same local football community.
Schoolboy football
Raheny United schoolboy teams have been connected with the Dublin and District Schoolboys League and the North Dublin Schoolboys and Girls League. That gives boys age group football across the city and north Dublin football network.
For families, the player’s birth year is the key starting detail. It helps the club identify the right age group, coach, training group or waiting list without sending the enquiry through several people.
Schoolgirl football
Raheny United schoolgirl teams have been connected with the Metropolitan Girls League. That gives girls a recognised competitive pathway while keeping the club’s identity rooted in Raheny.
Girls football is part of the club’s overall structure rather than an extra layer on the outside. The same local base, volunteer culture and development approach support girls who start young and continue through older age groups.
Raheny Rookies academy
Raheny Rookies is the entry point for many young players. The academy is open to boys and girls aged four to six and is centred on fun, activity, ball contact and confidence rather than early pressure.
The academy helps children learn basic football actions such as passing, receiving, dribbling and shooting. It also helps families understand the club routine before children move toward age group teams.
Saturday academy routine
The academy takes place on Saturday mornings on the RSA Astro Pitch in St Anne’s Park. The current time window is 11:30 to 12:45, giving the youngest players a regular weekend football slot.
Sessions use small groups, short activities and small games. That format gives children more touches of the ball, more chances to succeed and more time learning through play.
Small games for young players
Raheny United uses very small games in the academy, including two against two, three against three and four against four formats. These games help children stay involved instead of waiting for the ball in a crowded match.
Small games suit the four to six age range because they create repeated decisions, touches and simple movement. The aim is enjoyment, activity and early football learning before formal team competition begins.
Moving from academy to under 8 football
Children move from the academy toward under 8 football when they are ready for games against other clubs. Before that step, more match style activity is introduced so young players can adjust gradually.
The club prepares players for five against five football in the months before under 8 competition. That gives children time to understand space, teammates, goals and simple match habits without losing the fun of the academy setting.
Academy leadership
The academy has been led by Paul McAtee, a UEFA A Licence coach with a playing and coaching background across Ireland, England and youth football. His role connects the youngest players with a clear development lead inside the club.
The academy also has named adult contact roles, including Aidan O’Looney and Paul McAtee. Families should use the main club contact route for general questions, then follow the age group guidance given by the academy team.
Club ethos
Raheny United places local youth development at the centre of its football. The aim is to help young players learn the skills of football in a safe, relaxed and enjoyable environment.
That ethos is about more than technical work. The club wants players to build friendships, develop community pride and grow into future mentors, coaches and volunteers who keep Raheny football moving forward.
Player development standards
The club’s development approach values effort, attendance, attitude and application as well as football ability. That matters because young players improve at different speeds and need a pathway that rewards commitment.
Good youth football should challenge players technically, tactically and physically while still keeping the setting positive. Raheny United’s structure supports that balance through age group teams, coach roles and academy learning.
Coach role
Raheny United relies on volunteer coaches who plan sessions, set up training, guide match day groups and communicate with families. Coaches are the direct link between the player, the team and the club.
The coach role includes more than picking a team. It includes creating safe sessions, setting standards, encouraging fair play, understanding player needs and keeping children engaged in football.
Parent role
Parents are encouraged to support the club in a constructive way. That support can include helping at events, backing fundraising, encouraging players and respecting the decisions made by coaches and match officials.
A strong parent culture makes a youth club easier to run. It helps players enjoy football, helps volunteers stay involved and gives the club a better match day atmosphere.
Fair play and respect
Raheny United’s football environment is built around discipline, respect and fair play. Those values apply to players, coaches, parents and supporters, especially in younger age groups where adults set the tone.
Respect matters because grassroots football depends on volunteers and referees. A good team culture protects the enjoyment of players and keeps match days manageable for everyone involved.
Game time policy
Raheny United has used clear minimum playing time guidance for younger age groups. Under 6 to under 9 players are linked with at least seventy five percent game time, while under 10 and under 11 players are linked with at least fifty percent.
For under 12 to under 16 players, the minimum guidance is twenty five percent, with older youth and senior football left to coach judgement. This creates a transparent development base while still recognising that older football becomes more competitive.
Child welfare structure
The club is committed to a safe and enjoyable environment for schoolboy and schoolgirl players. Youth activity is supported by child welfare roles and by procedures connected with safeguarding, consent and adult responsibility.
Adults involved with under 18 teams are expected to be Garda vetted. That expectation gives parents a clear safeguarding baseline before players take part in training, games or club activities.
Child protection roles
Raheny United’s welfare structure includes a designated liaison role and club child officer roles. Those roles are important because families need a clear route if they have a concern about player welfare or adult conduct.
Safeguarding works best when it is understood before a problem arises. Parents should know the coach, the meeting point, the collection plan and the welfare route attached to their child’s team.
Clubhouse redevelopment
Raheny United opened its redeveloped clubhouse in November 2003. That redevelopment added important facilities and helped the club support a larger football community from its All Saints Drive base.
The clubhouse is part of the club’s identity because it gives teams, families and volunteers a shared hub. It supports football activity, social use, meetings and the practical demands of a busy grassroots club.
Changing rooms and showers
The clubhouse facilities include four adult sized changing rooms and showers for sixteen people. For a club with many teams, those practical spaces matter every week.
Changing and shower facilities support player preparation, visiting teams, referees and match day organisation. They also help separate a fully functioning club base from a pitch only arrangement.
Player gym
Raheny United has a player gym used for strength and conditioning work. Equipment includes dumbbells, kettlebells, exercise balls and exercise bikes, giving players a setting for fitness work beside football training.
The gym has also been equipped to support physical performance feedback for players using trackers. Two qualified gym instructors have been connected with the club, adding guidance to the training environment.
Players lounge
The clubhouse includes a players lounge with capacity for around one hundred people. A lounge space gives the club a social area for members, families, visiting adults and club events.
The lounge includes seating, a pool table and a large screen. For a community club, this kind of space helps football remain social as well as competitive.
Function room
Raheny United’s function room can cater for around one hundred and twenty people. It is used for events such as parties, family occasions, fundraising activity, meetings, seminars and club gatherings.
The room has a flexible layout, a projector screen, presentation options and wireless internet. That gives the club a practical income and community space beyond match day football.
Clubhouse lounge hours
The clubhouse lounge has operated evening and weekend hours, including Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday openings, with times able to vary. The main club phone for lounge and clubhouse questions is 01 8510077.
Families should treat opening hours as practical guidance rather than a guarantee. Before planning a visit for social use, room hire or a meeting, it is sensible to check the current club contact route.
Office and mobile contact
The club office has operated on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 09:30 to 13:30. The club mobile number connected with general enquiries is 085 2292934.
A strong enquiry should include the player name, birth year, football experience, preferred pathway and whether the question is about joining, coaching, volunteering, room hire or a match day visit.
All weather pitch partnership
In 2015, Raheny United entered a partnership with Dublin City Council and Raheny GAA around the all weather pitch in St Anne’s Park. The pitch became an important shared training and community facility.
The facility is associated with Raheny Sports Alliance and has operated on a not for profit basis. Its value is strongest in winter and seasonal training, when reliable floodlit space can protect sessions from poor grass conditions.
RSA Astro Pitch
The RSA Astro Pitch is located in St Anne’s Park, directly behind the tennis courts on Pitch 5. It gives Raheny United and Raheny GAA access to a floodlit training surface inside the park.
For young players, the astro setting is especially useful because it supports regular coaching. It also gives the academy a clear Saturday base that can be easier for new families to understand.
Membership and registration
Raheny United uses online membership and registration arrangements for club fees. Families should have the player details ready before starting, including birth year, parent or guardian contact details and the correct pathway.
Membership can involve a single payment or instalment options depending on the arrangement available at the time. The practical point for families is to confirm the correct team or academy place before completing payment.
Club administration
The club administration includes documents for Garda vetting, child safeguarding, parent or guardian consent, social media policy, discipline and appeals, privacy, registration and competition paperwork.
Those documents may not be as visible as training and games, but they are important to a large youth football club. They help volunteers manage safety, registration, conduct and communication in a consistent way.
Mini leagues and community activity
Raheny United’s activity extends beyond the standard team pathway. Mini leagues, fundraising, sponsorship, facility work and clubhouse events all help connect football with the wider Raheny community.
Community activity matters because a large club must keep replacing equipment, supporting facilities and recruiting volunteers. The strongest football clubs are usually the ones where families feel part of something wider than one squad.
Team contact structure
Raheny United maintains team contact routes across academy, girls and boys football. Because the club has many groups, it is important for families to direct questions through the right age group rather than sending incomplete enquiries.
The best first message gives a birth year, pathway, player experience, family location and the reason for contact. That helps the club route the question quickly and avoids slowing down volunteer replies.
For visiting teams
Visiting teams should plan for All Saints Drive, St Anne’s Park and the D05 FW31 eircode, then confirm the exact meeting point before travelling. The parkland setting can involve more than one pitch area, so arrival time matters.
Teams should bring normal warm up gear, respect park users and avoid blocking residential access near the clubhouse. Coaches should also make sure parents know whether the match is on grass or the astro area.
For new players
A new player enquiry should begin with the player’s age, birth year and football background. Raheny United’s size means there may be several possible teams or groups, so accurate age details are more useful than a general request.
Younger children may fit the academy first, while older children may need an age group team contact. Adults and older youth players should make clear whether they are asking about men’s football, women’s football, coaching or volunteering.
For volunteers
A club with seven senior teams, forty seven junior teams and academy activity needs adults who can help with coaching, administration, events, facilities, fundraising and match day organisation.
Volunteering is also part of the player pathway. Many clubs depend on former players and parents becoming coaches, mentors and committee members, and Raheny United’s ethos makes that next generation of helpers part of the club’s future.
What defines Raheny United
Raheny United FC is defined by its 1994 merger, black and white colours, St Anne’s Park base, All Saints Drive clubhouse, academy for young players, senior teams, junior teams and strong north Dublin community role.
The club combines football depth with facilities that many grassroots clubs do not have: changing rooms, gym, lounge, function room and access to a floodlit all weather pitch. That combination makes Raheny United a substantial football home for Dublin 5 families.
