OUR CLUB HISTORY
From the Blues of the 1930s to one of South Dublin’s largest football clubs, Cabinteely FC has grown through generations of players, coaches, volunteers and supporters.
Football has deep roots in Cabinteely. In the 1930s, a local side known as The Blues from Cabinteely won the Schoolboys League Cup in front of an estimated 6,000 spectators and later became known as Cabinteely Boys.
Although the original club ceased playing during the 1950s, football returned in 1967 with the formation of Auburn FC. From that single team grew the club we know today.
The Beginning
The club’s early roots can be traced to the 1930s, when The Blues from Cabinteely won the Schoolboys League Cup in front of an estimated crowd of 6,000 people. The team later became known as Cabinteely Boys.
Local Football
Cabinteely competed at various levels in the Wicklow Leagues during the 1940s and 1950s before the club ceased playing in the mid-1950s.
The Modern Club
The current club was established in 1967 as Auburn FC, beginning league football with just one team. Those early volunteers laid the foundations for everything that followed.
Growing Club
By 1970, several new teams had been formed and the club joined the newly established South County League schoolboy competitions.
A New Name
As the club became more established in the area, Auburn FC was renamed Cabinteely Boys FC.
Building Foundations
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Cabinteely continued to compete in local leagues and competitions, steadily building the club’s teams and community presence.
Cabinteely FC
The club was rebranded as Cabinteely Football Club, reflecting its development beyond boys’ football. Greater emphasis was placed on senior teams, boys’ and girls’ football, women’s football and club infrastructure.
Expansion
Over the following two decades, Cabinteely continued to grow and established a strong presence in the Leinster Senior League while significantly expanding its underage structure.
League of Ireland
Cabinteely FC was awarded a licence to compete in the League of Ireland First Division, marking the club’s entry into senior national football.
National U13, U14, U15, U17 and U19 teams followed, bringing Cabinteely players and coaches into elite national competition.
Player Pathway
Cabinteely’s League of Ireland First Division operation was amalgamated with Bray Wanderers FC, with the senior side playing its home games at the Carlisle Grounds.
The partnership strengthened the pathway available to talented Cabinteely players progressing towards national and senior football.
Girls & Women’s Pathway
Cabinteely FC became an official partner of DLR Waves, strengthening the development pathway available to girls and women within the club.
The partnership provides talented female players with a route to progress from Cabinteely’s underage and adult teams towards elite women’s football, while supporting the continued growth of girls’ football throughout the club.
International Partnership
In April 2025, Cabinteely FC became an International Club Partner of Celtic Soccer Academy, creating new development opportunities for both players and coaches.
The partnership gives Cabinteely coaches access to mentoring, coach education resources and Celtic’s player-development curriculum, while also creating opportunities for direct engagement with Celtic Soccer Academy coaches.
In 2026, the partnership expanded further with Celtic FC Academy coaches travelling from Glasgow to deliver dedicated academy training at Kilbogget Park.
Cabinteely FC Today
Today, Cabinteely FC continues to provide football opportunities for players across a wide range of ages and abilities, with a strong emphasis on youth development and progression.
The club operates an extensive underage structure and continues to provide development pathways through partnerships with Bray Wanderers, DLR Waves and Celtic FC, giving ambitious boys and girls opportunities to progress to higher levels of the game.
Cabinteely FC’s history is ultimately the story of the players, coaches, volunteers, families and supporters who have helped build the club over generations.
To all of those who have been part of our journey so far, thank you. And to those who are with us today, and those who will join us in the years ahead, you will help shape the next chapter of Cabinteely FC’s history.
