Women's association football in the Republic of Ireland

Women's association football in the Republic of Ireland is governed by the Women's Football Association of Ireland. The WFAI organizes and manages the Republic of Ireland women's national football team, the FAI Women's Cup and the Women's National League as well as various county and regional leagues and junior cup competitions. The most notable county league is the Dublin Women's Soccer League. Organised women's association football has been played in the Republic of Ireland since at least the late 1960s and the national team has been active since 1973. Notable Republic of Ireland women's association footballers include Katie Taylor, Stephanie Roche and Emma Byrne. In addition to representing the Republic of Ireland at full international level, Taylor is also an Irish, European, World and Olympic boxing champion. In 2014 Roche was a FIFA Puskás Award nominee. Byrne is a prominent member of the Arsenal Ladies team.

Women's association football in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland international Emma Byrne after the 2007 FA Women's Cup final.
CountryRepublic of Ireland
Governing bodyWomen's Football Association of Ireland
National team(s)Republic of Ireland
National competitions

Timeline

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Year/Season Key events
1965 Benfica, one of the oldest women's association football clubs in the Republic of Ireland is founded in Waterford
1967 UCD play Dublin University in an early intervarsity women's game.[1][2]
1973 The Women's Football Association of Ireland is established.[3] On 22 April the Republic of Ireland women's national football team make their debut in a 10–1 defeat against Scotland.
1982 The Republic of Ireland make their competitive debut on 19 September in a European Competition for Women's Football qualifier. They lose 3–0 to Scotland.
1982 On 2 October the Republic of Ireland win their first competitive game when they defeat Northern Ireland 2–1 in a European Competition for Women's Football qualifier.
1983 Thomond College win the inaugural Intervarsity Cup, the women's equivalent of the Collingwood Cup.[4][5]
1991 The WFAI affiliates with the Football Association of Ireland.[6]
1994 Elm Rovers become first Dublin Women's Soccer League champions.[7]
2000 The Republic of Ireland win the Celt Cup.[8]
2002–03 Shamrock Rovers became the first women's team to represent the Republic of Ireland in Europe.
2005 The Republic of Ireland win their second level group in their UEFA Women's Euro 2005 qualification campaign.
2007 Emma Byrne and Ciara Grant play for Arsenal in the 2007 UEFA Women's Cup Final. They are the first two Republic of Ireland women's players to feature in a major European cup final. Ciara McCormack had been an unused substitute in 2003.
2010 The Republic of Ireland U-17s finish as runners-up in the UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship and as quarter-finalists in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[9]
2011–12 Peamount United become the first Republic of Ireland team, including men's team, to qualify for the knockout stages of a European competition.[10] They also become the inaugural winners of the Women's National League.[11]
2013 The Republic of Ireland win their group at the 2013 Cyprus Cup.
2013 Stephanie Roche's goal for Peamount United goes viral on YouTube[12][13] and is nominated for a FIFA Puskás Award.[14]
2014 The Republic of Ireland team win their group at the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship and qualify for the semi-finals.[15]
2014–15 Raheny United become first Republic of Ireland club team, including men's teams, to win their group in a European competition.

List of teams

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Women's National League

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Locations of Women's National League Teams
Locations of Women's National League Teams in Dublin
Team Home town/suburb Stadium 2021 finish
Athlone Town Athlone Athlone Town Stadium 7th
Bohemians Dublin (Phibsborough) Dalymount Park 6th
Cork City Cork Turners Cross 8th
DLR Waves Dún Laoghaire UCD Bowl 4th
Galway Galway Eamonn Deacy Park 5th
Peamount United Newcastle, South Dublin Greenogue 2nd
Shelbourne Dublin (Drumcondra) Tolka Park 1st
Sligo Rovers Sligo The Showgrounds NA
Treaty United Limerick Markets Field 9th
Wexford Youths Crossabeg Ferrycarrig Park 3rd

Timeline

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League member Former member Future member


Dublin Women's Soccer League

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Premier League

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Team Home town/suburb Ground
Bray Wanderers Bray Carlisle Grounds
Dundalk Dundalk Oriel Park
Sporting Kilmore Coolock Oscar Traynor Road
Monaghan United Monaghan Gortakeegan
Peamount United B Newcastle, South Dublin Greenogue
Raheny United Raheny St Anne's Park
St Francis Baldonnel, Dublin John Hyland Park
St Catherine's Walkinstown/The Liberties, Dublin Walkinstown Avenue

[16][17]

Major League

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Team Home town/suburb Ground
Albion Rovers Monasterboice Muireachs Park
Cabinteely Cabinteely Kilbogget Park
Drimnagh Celtic Drimnagh
Eureka Kells Kells, County Meath Dublin Road
Lakelands Stillorgan
Leixlip United Leixlip Leixlip Amenities Centre
Peamount United C Newcastle, South Dublin Greenogue
Templeogue Templeogue

[16][18]

Mayo Women's Football League

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Super League

Team Home town/suburb Home ground
Ballina Town Ballina, County Mayo Belleek Park
Castlebar Town Castlebar
Killala Killala
Kilmore Erris
Manulla Manulla

[19]


See also

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References

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  1. ^ www.ucd.ie
  2. ^ foot.ie
  3. ^ Fan Hong, J. A. Mangan (2004). Soccer, Women, Sexual Liberation: Kicking Off a New Era. Frank Cass Publishers.
  4. ^ "WSCAI Roll of Honour". thirdlevelfootball.ie. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  5. ^ www.ucd.ie
  6. ^ Fan Hong, J. A. Mangan (2004). Soccer, Women, Sexual Liberation: Kicking Off a New Era. Frank Cass Publishers.
  7. ^ List of Women's Champions, Rsssf
  8. ^ Garin, Erik (20 October 2003). "1st Celt Cup - Women Tournament - 2000". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  9. ^ www.uefa.com
  10. ^ "Peamount fly Irish flag against PSG". UEFA. 24 September 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  11. ^ "Peamount Utd win inaugural Bus Éireann Women's National League title". fai.ie. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  12. ^ "Today on YouTube: Stephanie Roche scores goal of the season contender for Peamount United". The Daily Telegraph. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  13. ^ Kelly, Rory (21 October 2013). "Stephanie Roche Goal – The World Reacts – Passes 1 million views". ExtraTime.ie. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  14. ^ "Stephanie Roche misses out on Puskas Award but scores red carpet hit at the FIFA Ballon D'Or ceremony". evoke.ie. 12 January 2015.
  15. ^ "Women's Under-19 2014 - Sweden-Republic of Ireland – UEFA.com". Uefa.com.
  16. ^ a b "Dublin women's soccer league". www.herald.ie. 12 July 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  17. ^ "Premier League Fixtures & Results". www.dwsl.ie. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  18. ^ "Major League Fixtures & Results". www.dwsl.ie. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  19. ^ "Mayo womens [sic] league season gets ready for kickoff". www.con-telegraph.ie. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2016.