# Railway Union Sports Club

Railway Union Sports Club is a multi-sports club based in Sandymount, Dublin 4, Ireland. The club was founded in 1904 and was originally known as the Railway and Steam Packet Athletic and Social Union. The club organises teams in various sports and activities including cricket, field hockey, indoor hockey, rugby union, association football, tennis, bowls and bridge. Railway Union women's field hockey and women's rugby union teams both play in the top level of their respective national leagues. Railway Union women's field hockey team also represented Ireland in the 2014 EuroHockey Club Champions Cup.

## History
### Men's field hockey

The men's senior field hockey team plays in the Men's Irish Hockey League In 2018–19 they became founder members of the league's Division 2. The men's senior field hockey team also enters the Irish Senior Cup while the reserve team plays in the Irish Junior Cup.

#### Irish Senior Cup

| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
| 1926 | Banbridge | 5–1 | Railway & Steam Packet Union |
| 1927 | Lisnagarvey | 2–1 | Railway & Steam Packet Union |
| 1929 | Railway & Steam Packet Union | | Limerick PYMA |
| 1930 | Railway & Steam Packet Union | 2–1 | Limerick PYMA |
| 1931 | Railway Union | 2–0 | Maryville |
| 1938 | Railway Union | 1–0 | Cork Harlequins |
| 1968 | Cork Church of Ireland | 1–0 | Railway Union |
| 1975 | Cliftonville | 1–0 | Railway Union |
| 2012 | Cork Harlequins | 4–3 | Railway Union |

#### Notes

* ↑ After extra time
* ↑ After extra time
* ↑ After replay and two periods of extra time, first game finished 0–0

#### Irish Junior Cup

| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
| 1925 | Railway Union II | 2–0 | Ennis |
| 1940 | Maryborough | | Railway Union II |
| 1957 | Railway Union II | | Carlow |
| 1967 | Lisnagarvey II | 1–0 | Railway Union II |
| 1975 | Railway Union II | 3–1 | Lisnagarvey II |

#### Notes

* ↑ After extra time

### Women's field hockey

Railway Union's senior women's field hockey team play in the Women's Irish Hockey League and the Irish Senior Cup. During the first five seasons of the Women's Irish Hockey League, Railway Union emerged as the league's strongest team, winning three titles in fours seasons. During this era the team featured, among others, Cecelia and Isobel Joyce, Emer Lucey, Nicola Evans, Kate McKenna, Jeamie Deacon and Grace O'Flanagan. Railway Union were champions for the first time in 2009–10, before winning further titles in 2011–12 and 2012–13. In 2012–13 Railway Union also completed a national double, winning both the Women's Irish Hockey League and the Irish Senior Cup. In the cup final Railway Union defeated UCD 3–2. Railway Union also represented Ireland in European club competitions, including the 2014 EuroHockey Club Champions Cup.

#### Women's Irish Hockey League

| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
| 2009–10 | Railway Union | 4–0 | Cork Harlequins |
| 2011–12 | Railway Union | | Loreto |
| 2012–13 | Railway Union | | Loreto |
| 2013–14 | UCD | | Railway Union |

#### Notes

* ↑ Railway Union won after a penalty shoot-out

#### Irish Senior Cup

| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
| 2009–10 | Loreto | 2–2 | Railway Union |
| 2012–13 | Railway Union | 3–2 | UCD |

#### Irish Junior Cup

Railway Union's reserve women's field hockey team play in the Irish Junior Cup. Cecelia Joyce and Kate McKenna were members of the 2018 winning team.
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
| 1966 | Portadown I | 6–0 | Railway Union II |
| 1974 | Pegasus II | 1–0 | Railway Union |
| 1976 | Carrick | 1–0 | Railway Union II |
| 1977 | Railway Union II | | |
| 1978 | Portadown II | 3–0 | Railway Union II |
| 2008 | Glennane | 5–1 | Railway Union II |
| 2009 | Hermes II | 1–1 | Railway Union II |
| 2011 | Railway Union | | Lisnagarvey |
| 2017 | Railway Union | 2–0 | Pembroke Wanderers |
| 2018 | Railway Union | 2–0 | UCD |

#### Notes

* ↑ Loreto won 4–2 after penalty shoot-out
* ↑ After replay, first game finished 1–1
* ↑ Hermes II won 3–1 after penalty shoot-out

### Men's rugby union

Railway Union's first and second men's rugby union teams both play in the Leinster League.

### Women's rugby union

The women's rugby union first team plays in the Women's All-Ireland League. The second team plays in the Leinster League. In 2014–15, with a team featuring Cliodhna Moloney, the first team won the Women's All Ireland Cup after defeating Highfield 27–0. In 2017–18, with a team featuring Larissa Muldoon and Lindsay Peat, the first team won the cup for a second time. In the final they defeated UL Bohemians 33–3.

#### Women's All Ireland Cup

| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up |
| 2014–15 | Railway Union | 27–0 | Highfield |
| 2017–18 | Railway Union | 33–3 | UL Bohemians |

### Cricket

Railway Union Cricket Club has five men's teams playing in Leinster Cricket Union competitions. The first XI play in the Leinster Senior League. There is also a women's team and boys' and girls' teams for all age groups. The men's first XI also play in the Irish Senior Cup and the Leinster Senior Cup.

#### Irish Senior Cup

| Season | Winners | Runners-Up | Venue | Match Notes |
| 2003 | North County | Railway Union | Castle Avenue | North County 217–7 (E Morgan 70); Railway Union 146 all out (C Mullen 58, P Mooney 4–19). North County won by 71 runs. |
| 2005 | North County | Railway Union | Castle Avenue | Railway Union 182–8 (50 overs A Murphy 80); North County 185–5 (44.2 overs J Mooney 57 no). North County won by 5 wickets. |
| 2006 | Railway Union | Rush | Castle Avenue | Rush 206–7 (50 overs, S Iqbal 58); Railway Union 210–9 (43.2 overs A Murphy 50, N Mullen 4–32). Railway Union won by 1 wicket. |
| 2010 | Merrion | Railway Union | Balrothery | Railway Union 317–3 (50 overs Kevin O'Brien 76, Trent Johnston 71, T Fisher 69); Merrion 164–1 (26 overs Greg Clarence 80no, Dominick Joyce 72no). Merrion won by 36 runs. (Duckworth-Lewis par score: 128 in 26 overs) |

#### Leinster Senior Cup

| Season | Winners | Runners-up |
| 1949 | Phoenix | Railway Union |
| 1950 | Clontarf | Railway Union |
| 1961 | Dublin University | Railway Union |
| 1967 | Railway Union | Phoenix |
| 1974 | Pembroke | Railway Union |
| 1981 | Leinster | Railway Union |
| 1988 | YMCA | Railway Union |
| 2010 | Railway Union | Clontarf |

### Association football

Railway Union's senior men's association football team play in the Athletic Union League. and in the FAI Junior Cup. They have previously played in the Leinster Senior League, finishing as runners up in the Senior Division in 1980–81. An under-20 team also plays in the AUL.

## Notable players
### Field hockey
#### Ireland men's internationals

* Kenny Carroll

#### Ireland women's internationals

* Jeamie Deacon
* Nicola Evans
* Sarah Hawkshaw
* Grace O'Flanagan

#### Ireland A women's internationals

* Emer Lucey

#### Ireland women's cricket internationals

* Cecelia Joyce
* Isobel Joyce
* Kate McKenna

#### Republic of Ireland association football internationals

* Harry Cannon

### Rugby union
#### Ireland men internationals

* E.W. Jeffares; 1912–13 (2 Ireland Caps)
* R.D. Patterson; 1912–13 (8 Ireland Caps)
* George Hamlet; 1902–1911 (30 Ireland Caps)
* Jim William Golding; 1879 (Ireland v Scotland)

#### Ireland women internationals

| Cliodhna Moloney Ciara Cooney Lindsay Peat Ailsa Hughes | Kim Flood Nikki Caughey Larissa Muldoon |

#### Ireland women sevens internationals

| Chloe Blackmore Kim Flood Stacey Flood Katie Heffernan Eve Higgins | Amee Leigh-Crowe Martina McCarthy Larissa Muldoon Emma Murphy Susan Vaughan |
Source:

### Cricket
#### Ireland men's cricket internationals

| Louis Bookman Kenny Carroll Kevin O'Brien Niall O'Brien | Joey O'Meara Trent Johnston Jason Molins Frank Miller |

#### Ireland women's cricket internationals

* Lara Molins
* Nikki Squire

## Facilities

Railway Union Sports Club is based at Park Avenue. The facilities include a full size 6-rink bowling green, a floodlit astro field hockey pitch, three grass and seven floodlit all-weather tennis courts, two association football pitches, a cricket ground and a full size rugby union pitch.

## Honours
### Men's field hockey

* Irish Senior Cup
** Winners: 1929, 1930, 1931, 1938: 4
** Runners Up: 1926, 1927, 1968, 1975, 2012: 5
* Irish Junior Cup
** Winners: 1925, 1957, 1975: 3
** Runners Up: 1940, 1967: 8

### Women's field hockey

* Women's Irish Hockey League
** Winners: 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13: 3
** Runners Up: 2013–14: 1
* Irish Senior Cup
** Winners: 2012–13, 2023-24: 2
* Irish Junior Cup
** Winners: 1977, 2011, 2017, 2018: 4
** Runners Up: 1966, 1974, 1976, 1978, 2008, 2009 : 7

### Men's rugby union

* Leinster League Division 2B
** Winners: 2012–13: 1
* Leinster League Division Three
** Winners: 1995–96: 1
* Leinster Junior Challenge Cup
** Winners: 1920–21: 1
* Leinster Junior League
** Winners: 1937–38: 1
* Kinsale Sevens
** Winners: 1988–89: 1
Source:

### Women's rugby union

* All Ireland Cup
** Winners: 2014–15, 2017–18 : 2
* All Ireland League Division 2
** Winners: 2013–14
* Kinsale Sevens
** Winners: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2017–18 : 2
Source:

### Cricket

* Irish Senior Cup
** Winners: 2006: 1
** Runners Up: 2003, 2005, 2006
* Leinster Senior League
** Winners: 1960, 1962, 2011: 3
* Leinster Senior Cup
** Winners: 1967, 2010: 2
** Runners Up: 1949, 1950, 1961, 1974, 1981, 1988: 6