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. They also went represented Ireland at the EHL, Europes top competition in 2025 and 2026.
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 1926Banbridge5–1Railway & Steam Packet Union 1927Lisnagarvey2–1 After extra timeRailway & Steam Packet Union 1929Railway & Steam Packet Union Limerick PYMA 1930Railway & Steam Packet Union2–1 After extra timeLimerick PYMA 1931 Railway Union2–0Maryville 1938 Railway Union1–0 After replay and two periods of extra time, first game finished 0–0Cork Harlequins 1968Cork Church of Ireland1–0 Railway Union 1975Cliftonville1–0 Railway Union 2012Cork Harlequins4–3Railway Union
Notes
Irish Junior Cup Season Winners Score Runners up 1925Railway Union IIBelfast Newsletter 18 March 1925 Page 22–0Ennis 1940Maryborough Railway Union II 1957Railway Union II Carlow 1967Lisnagarvey IIIreland's Saturday Night 8 April 1967 Page 31–0Railway Union II 1975Railway Union IIBelfast Newsletter 14 April 1975 Page 12; Ireland's Saturday Night 12 April 1975 Page 23–1 After extra timeLisnagarvey II
Notes
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 2009–10Railway Union4–0Cork Harlequins2011–12Railway Union Loreto2012–13Railway UnionRailway Union won after a penalty shoot-out Loreto2013–14UCD Railway Union
Notes
Irish Senior Cup Season Winners Score Runners up 2009–10Loreto2–2 Loreto won 4–2 after penalty shoot-outRailway Union 2012–13Railway Union3–2UCD
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 1966Portadown IBelfast Newsletter 30 March 1966 Page 14; Ireland's Saturday Night 2 April 1966 Page 46–0Railway Union II 1974Pegasus IIIreland's Saturday Night 30 March 1974 Page 21–0Railway Union 1976 CarrickIreland's Saturday Night 20 March 1976 Page 121–0Railway Union II 1977Railway Union II 1978Portadown IIBelfast Newsletter 3 April 1978 Page 10 & 10 April 1978 Page 123–0 After replay, first game finished 1–1Railway Union II 2008Glennane5–1Railway Union II 2009Hermes IIHermes II won 3–1 after penalty shoot-out1–1Railway Union II 2011Railway Union Lisnagarvey 2017Railway Union2–0Pembroke Wanderers 2018Railway Union2–0UCD
Notes
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 2014–15Railway Union27–0Highfield 2017–18Railway Union33–3UL 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 SeasonWinnersRunners-UpVenueMatch Notes2003North CountyRailway UnionCastle AvenueNorth County 217–7 (E Morgan 70);Railway Union 146 all out (C Mullen 58, P Mooney 4–19).North County won by 71 runs.2005North CountyRailway UnionCastle AvenueRailway 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. 2006Railway UnionRushCastle AvenueRush 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.2010MerrionRailway UnionBalrotheryRailway 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
SeasonWinnersRunners-upMatch Scores1949PhoenixRailway Union1950ClontarfRailway Union1961Dublin UniversityRailway Union1967Railway UnionPhoenix1974PembrokeRailway Union1981LeinsterRailway Union1988YMCARailway Union2010Railway UnionClontarf
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 men's internationals Kenny Carroll women's internationals Jeamie Deacon Nicola Evans Sarah Hawkshaw Grace O'Flanagan A women's internationals Emer Lucey women's cricket internationals Cecelia Joyce Isobel Joyce Kate McKenna Republic of Ireland association football internationals Harry Cannon
Rugby union 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) women internationals Cliodhna Moloney Ciara Cooney Lindsay Peat Ailsa Hughes Kim Flood Nikki Caughey Larissa Muldoon women sevens internationals Chloe Blackmore Kim Flood Stacey Flood Katie Heffernan Eve Higgins Amee Leigh-Crowe Martina McCarthy Larissa Muldoon Emma Murphy Susan Vaughan
Cricket men's cricket internationals Louis Bookman Kenny Carroll Kevin O'Brien Niall O'Brien Joey O'Meara Trent Johnston Jason Molins Frank Miller 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, 2024-25, 2025-26: 4 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
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
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
References