Club Story
The club's early history is a tale of three clubs, Rathnew Shamrocks, Rathnew Celtic and St. Earnan's. The original club was founded in 1958 as Rathnew Shamrocks and they started out in the old County Wicklow and District League, which was made up of clubs from mainly south Dublin, TEK, Wayside Celtic, Blackrock, etc. The club then changed its name to Rathnew Celtic in 1963 and the following season won a Wicklow Cup.
In the early 70s another club was formed in the village, St. Earnan's, and for about 15 years they enjoyed a fierce rivalry. The two Rathnew teams dominated Wicklow football in the 70s and early 80s, winning seven Wicklow Cups and seven Premier League titles up to 1983, as well as numerous other Division titles, Charlie Bishop Cups and Shields.
During this period Rathnew Celtic went on to lift the 1979 Leinster Junior Cup with a win over Ballyfermot Utd
and they became the first, and to date, the only Wicklow League team to win this competition.
Read the Evening Herald article about the final here.
Following a lean spell over the next few seasons with high demand on both clubs to produce trophy winning teams, both clubs decided to amalgamate in 1986 as Rathnew '86. The club's first team initially played in the Leinster Senior League, but in 1989 the club returned to the Wicklow League as Rathnew AFC and the club has gone from strength to strength, winning numerous Premier and Divisional titles and cups since then.
After losing their traditional pitch, the Horse Park, in the early 90s, and then playing their matches in Tinnakilly for two years, the club moved to their new pitch at Merrymeeting in the mid 90s. And a major part of the club's success in recent years has been the development of the facilities in Merrymeeting, which has allowed the club attract the best and brightest at schoolboy level all the way up to adults.
The facilities now boast two 11-aside pitches, one with floodlights, one schoolboy pitch, a covered all-weather pitch and clubhouse.
It is the emergence of Rathnew AFC as a force to be reckoned with in the Wicklow League which has led to our mantra...
"One Village, One Club".
