Clondalkin Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Clondalkin, Dublin and founded in 1973. Since 2022, the club grounds are located in Kingswood Farm, Baldonnell, Dublin 22, D22 Y9H9.
Clondalkin has three senior men’s teams, a senior women’s team, an inclusive rugby section, toddler group and a thriving youth and mini section featuring players from the ages of 5 up to 18 – boys and girls. Clon has had a successful minis section for a number of years, and this continues to be the case. For the first time ever, we can cater from U4s up to U12s. We run ‘girls only’ blitzes for U10s and U12s and this is an area we continue to build on.
The senior men’s first team compete in Leinster League (J1) Division 2A, the third division in Leinster junior rugby while the senior women’s team compete in Division 2.
Name
Clondalkin Rugby Football Club
Nickname
Clon, CRFC
Founded
1973
Ground
Kingswood Farm, Baldonnell
Clondalkin’s first game was against Old Kilcullen RFC and the outing confirmed that the potential existed for a rugby club in Clondalkin and the surrounding areas, so the club was formed and affiliated to the Leinster Branch. Gradually, the club began to expand, the number of teams grew, and a junior section was established.
To cater for this expansion, in 1977 the club purchased grounds in Kingswood Cross. This was thanks to the hard work and dedication of our committee, members, and the invaluable support of local businesses and the community. Instrumental in the move was a local bank manager and club member, Paddy Gordon, after whom the grounds were named.
Fast forward to today and we have earned a great reputation for being a progressive, family-oriented club as well as being one of Leinster’s fastest growing. We are known across the country as ‘Clon’ or ‘CRFC’, and club colours are blue and yellow.
In 2021, the club embarked on an ambitious project which saw the grounds at Gordon Park sold and a site nearby purchased. The new grounds at Kingwood Farm in Baldonnel comprises of a 26-acre site making us the largest rugby club in Leinster. The club played its last games in Gordon Park in the summer of 2022 and the first competitive games at the new site were played in October 2022.
Many current and former senior players now help to coach the youth and mini teams, developing the Clon stars of the future. Current Leinster star, James Lowe is a friend of, and regular visitor to, the club and gives tremendous encouragement to the club’s young players. In recent years we have embraced digital media and our website and various social media platforms are a hub for all club communications attracting 1000s of page views per week. Our vibrant online community boasts over 8000 active members and our engagement levels are regularly second only to Leinster Rugby.
Since 2020, Clondalkin have been running an Inclusive Tag Rugby programme. Tag rugby is a game that can be played by people of all ages, sexes and abilities, in a competitive and friendly fashion, without
any contact involved. Our aim is to provide children with learning and physical disabilities an opportunity to learn and play tag rugby in a safe, enjoyable and exciting environment and to build social
skills and boost confidence.
The programme is designed to integrate as many players as possible, in a safe and practicable manner as members of existing rugby clubs. The benefits are improved physical well-being and mobility but also
improving self-esteem and breaking down social barriers by encouraging participants to work as a team or in small groups and ultimately, making everyone feel valued. This initiative is delivered by
our generous volunteers with the vast majority being our youth players.
Chairperson – Gerry Gilligan
Hon. Secretary – Una Maguire
President – Philip Byrne
Vice president – Gerry Gilligan
Past President – Kevin Cullen
Treasurer – Pat Cagney
Development Chair – Eamonn Stapleton
Commercial Chair – Adrian Noone
Fixtures Secretary – Terry Woodhead
Public Relations Officer – Vincent Quinn
Tickets Secretary – Tom Carter
Club Welfare Officer- Gareth Steed
Director of Rugby- Derek Murtagh
Youth Coordinator- Gareth Steed
Club Captain – Mikey Russell
Executive Officer – Frank Lynam
Executive Officer – Tom Duffy
Grounds Chair – Kevin Laide
Executive Officer – Caroline Conway
Non-Executive Roles:
Football Committee Chair – John Murphy
North Midlands Representative – Tom Duffy
North Midlands Representative – Fiona Tighe
North Midland Youth Representative – Nicky McCann
1973-74 E.P. Whelan
1974-75 E.P. Whelan
1975-76 B O’Neill
1976-77 L. Dowling
1977-78 E.P. Gordon
1978-79 E.P. Gordon
1979-80 E.P. Whelan
1980-81 J.A. McDermott
1981-82 R.A. Booth
1982-83 J. Sexton
1983-84 G.A. Gilligan
1984-85 C.F. McGlinn
1985-86 E.P. Whelan
1986-87 J. Sexton
1987-88 B. Bracken
1988-89 C. Stapleton
1989-90 T. O’Connor
1990-91 K. Laide
1991-92 M. Lloyd
1992-93 P.Cagney
1993-94 R.J. McCann
1994-95 D. Cooper
1995-96 T. Woodhead
1996-97 A. Delamare
1997-98 B.J. Hayes
1998-99 W.J Jebb
1999-00 E.P. Noble
2000-01 K. Phelan
2001-02 C.C. Collins
2002-03 T. Woodhead
2003-04 J.S. Stapleton
2004-05 M.E. O’Brien
2005-06 A. Delamare
2006-07 C.F. McGlinn
2007-08 F. Purcell
2008-09 W.J. Jebb
2009-10 T. Woodhead
2010-11 J.S. Stapleton
2011-12 A.J Bracken
2012-13 A.J Bracken
2013-14: T. Duffy
2014-15: F Lynam
2015-16: W.J. Jebb
1973-74 J. Irvine
1974-75 J. Irvine
1975-76 P. Kelly
1976-77 T. Connolly
1977-78 N. Butler
1978-79 G.A. Gilligan
1979-80 F. O’Farrell
1980-81 D. Lyons
1981-82 J. Kennedy
1982-83 B. Coady
1983-84 N. Butler
1984-85 A. Delamere
1985-86 J. Keane
1986-87 J.A. Kelly
1987-88 G. Mahon
1988-89 E. Stapleton
1989-90 R. Hayes
1990-91 T. McCarthy
1991-92 K. Looney
1992-93 A. Owens
1993-94 K. O’Brien
1994-95 R. Hayes
1995-96 E. Stapleton
1996-97 O. Smith
1997-98 P.H. Sexton
1998-99 C.C. Collins
1999-00 E. Stapleton
2000-01 R. Hayes
2001-02 B. Ward
2002-03 M. Molloy
2003-04 J. Gallagher
2004-05 P. Fitzgerald
2005-06 C. Cullen
2006-07 F. Butler
2007-08 M. Molloy
2008-09 C. Moloney
2009-10 D. Fitzpatrick
2010-11 D. Fitzpatrick
2011-12 K.P. Cullen
2012-13 C. Jebb
2013-14 P. Nolan
2014-15 S. King
2015-16 B. Doyle
Winners 2014 Hosie Cup
Winners 2014 Paul Flood Cup
Winners 2014 Lalor Cup
Winners 2014 Speirs Cup
Winners 2012 Speirs Cup
Winners 2012 Under 19s Osbourne Cup
Winners 2012 Fox Cup
Winners 2011 Speirs Cup
Winners 2011 LBIRFU Ladies Cup
Winners 2010 Speirs Cup
Winners of 2010 Towns Plate
Winners of 2010 Lalor Cup
Winners 2009 Scully Cup
Winners Spencer Cup 2006
2006 Leinster U 18 Champions
2005 lenster U16 Champions
1999 Leinster League Div 4
Winners 1998 J4 League
Winners 1988 Dowling Cup