Raheny Utd & Ireland - For Club and Country

The summer of 2014 will go down in history as a special summer of heroic sporting achievements by Irish women. National icon Katie Taylor was up to her usual habit of securing gold for the Emerald Isle, the senior Irish women in rugby only recently pulled off a remarkable and historic victory over New Zealand (something the men have repeatedly failed to achieve) and the Under 19’s Irish football team reached the last four of the UEFA Women's U19 Championship Finals in Norway.

Dave Connell managed the young Irish women to a remarkable semi-final showdown against the Netherlands, which the “Girls in Green” fell short of victory and bowed out of the European tournament. The young Irish women wore the green with such pride and honour dispatching of such traditional footballing heavyweights as Sweden, England and Spain en-route to the semi-final. The squad consisted of many of the upcoming stars of the Women’s National League in Ireland, but quite fittingly the squad contained four of the current WNL champions and four players that will feature in the Uefa Women’s Champions League in Romania next week.

The club of course is Raheny United from Dublin and the four key players in question are Katie McCabe, Clare Shine, Lauren Dwyer and Keeva Keenan. In the week just gone Raheny United held a two day training camp in Coolock in Dublin as they prepare to compete in the preliminary rounds of the Uefa Women’s Champions League.

Lauren, alongside Keeva are just two of the newbies at the club. Lauren has signed on from Wexford Youth Women’s AFC; Lauren played in the WNL for the past two seasons with Wexford and was part of the team that won the League Cup last year.

The young student from Carlow was also instrumental in the success of the U19’s summer campaign as she marshalled the midfield with her strong holding play. The politely spoken young woman whose mother and family cheered from the stands in Norway admits the summer has being a special experience and a slight anxious smile appears on her face when the topic of going back to Wexford this season as an opposition player arises.

Keeva Keenan will be one of the fresh faces competing in the WNL this year. The Dublin girl who hails from the northside of the city played with Shelbourne Women last season.

“I was with Shels and I moved to Raheny in June, I know Casey (Mc Quillan, Raheny manager) about four years now, he coached me in the MGL (Metropolitan Girls League) and he rang me asking about Raheny United and playing Champions League, and of course I was really interested in that.”

The young Dublin girl talks with a relaxed, yet confident attitude as she also speaks highly of Under 19’s manager at International level Dave Connell.

“Dave would have had a big influence on my move to Raheny; he was one of the people I talked to before I made the move.”

On the subject of play and making the set-up to WNL football, Keeva is prepared for what awaits.

“Stepping into the national league, every game is going to be a challenge, but my game has improved form training with the great players at this club.”

Keeva is only going into 6^th Year to do her Leaving Cert come the academic year, but before she makes that step with her studies she will have Champions League football experience and a memorable summer in which she scored against England in the victory over them and received the Player of the Match pennant for the game against the Dutch.

So while Keeva and Lauren personalities are more reserved at the moment, waiting to make their mark with Raheny in the WNL, Katie McCabe and Clare Shine are arguably two of the bubbliest and lively characters at the club. The entire squad consists of strong personalities and confident young women who have easily being the most impressive side in the WNL in the past two seasons.

Clare was part of the squad last season that achieved a cup and league double, she recently became an international sensation as Clare bagged the winning goal against Spain for the “Girls in Green” at the U19’s European Championship. The former Douglas Hall player from Cork is one of the most energetic players in training, playing with a gracious smile on her face. With a short break in training Clare takes a few moments out to talk, there is a great maturity in her voice when she talks about the Champions League last year and how she has put that disappointment behind her.

“We are more up for it this year, we didn’t do ourselves justice, and everyone knows what is expected of them this year around.”

On representing her country this summer, Clare reflects, “it was indescribable really, it was like being another planet playing on the big stage, a once in a lifetime opportunity for some girls.”

Prior to the summer Clare was voted U19’s Player of the Year, living up to that award the exciting young talent intends to go onto third level studies come the academic year. With a strong and mature personality Clare will no doubt be one of the key players for Raheny this campaign, both in Europe and at home.

Katie McCabe completes the quadruple of Raheny United players that can hold their heads high after a remarkable summer for the U 19’s women. Katie won Young Player of the Year in the WNL last season, but the Dublin girl who has just completed her Leaving Cert is not one to rest on her laurels.

“Competing in the championship with the U 19’s was a great experience to remember and good to share with some of the girls from Rahney.  We were devastated after the semis but to beat three of the biggest nations in the world is not something you do every day.  We were 8^th seeded, and we made it to the semis, we aren’t happy with how it finished, but being top four in Europe is pretty special.”

On the Champions League itself Katie is confident the team can qualify out of the group. The Dublin girl points to her father Gary McCabe as a role mode, whom helped shape her career to date and that of her brother Gary McCabe (named after his father). 

“My dad used to bring us around training and make sure we had new boots, he still comes to all my matches and he was a big role model to me and my brother.”

With an exciting future in the game from a sporting and academic point of view, Katie’s feet are still firmly planted on the ground as she looks forward to another season with Raheny.

Whilst I spend some time amongst the playing, coaching and club staff at Raheny over the course of their training camp ahead of the new campaign, it was brought to my attention that Shauna Newman played a pivotal role in the U 19’s campaign to qualify for the European Championship this summer. Rather harshly as is often the case in the world of sport, Shauna wasn’t picked for the squad that travelled to Norway.

She will however get to experience Champions League football next week, as the ever dependable and consistent Newman has being a loyal player to the club, and plays at the heart of defence and has being one of the first names down on the team sheet for Raheny United in the WNL. Shauna, alongside Katie played for Raheny well before the club competed in the WNL.

Shauna and Katie will play a big part in the season ahead for Raheny United, Clare Shine will be looked to for goals and new kids on the block Keeva Keenan and Lauren Dwyer will add a new threat to an already potent Raheny United attack. The aul reliable players such as the Rebecca Creagh’s, Noelle Murray’s, Siobhan Killen’s and Niamh Reid Burke’s will again be called on, as will the entire remaining winning squad of 2013/2014.

With such a proud summer for Irish women, Raheny United of Dublin will be aiming to build on the feel good factor amongst women’s sports and do the country proud and more importantly themselves when they play in The Champions League over the course of the next week.