Dublin Women's Soccer League

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Dublin Women's Soccer League
Founded1994
CountryIreland
Region County Dublin
Divisions5
League cup(s)Premier Cup
Intermediate Cup
Intermediate Shield
Website

The Dublin Women's Soccer League was a women's association football league featuring teams from the Republic of Ireland. While the majority of the participating clubs were based in the Greater Dublin Area, the DWSL had regularly included teams from outside this area. Whilst previously the DWSL was one of the largest women's leagues in Ireland it had been overtaken by the Wexford, MGL and Cork Leagues. In late 2019, the FAI following discussions revamped Women's Football in the Greater Dublin area and the Eastern Women's Football League (EWFL) chaired by the MGL's Tony Gains were granted the only license to run women's adult football in the Dublin area. The EWFL is run by committees of the MGL and the former DWSL.

Contents

In addition to the Premier Division, there was also a Major Division and seven intermediate divisions. The DWSL operates in summer, with games played from May until September.

History

Early seasons

The Dublin Women's Soccer League was founded in 1994 following a merger of the Leinster Ladies' League and the Civil Service League. The inaugural champions were Elm Rovers. Its earliest members included several clubs which had been founded independently of men's clubs. These included Benfica, Rathfarnham United, Castle Rovers, O'Connell Chics and Welsox F.C. However the latter three subsequently became affiliated to Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick's Athletic and Shelbourne respectively. Castle Rovers were champions in 1995 and 1996 before a St Patrick's Athletic L.F.C. team that included Emma Byrne and Ciara Grant were champions in 1997. [1] [2]

Shamrock Rovers era

During the late 1990s and early 2000s Shamrock Rovers emerged as the DWSL's strongest team. Between 1998 and 2002 they were league champions five times in row. [3] They also won the DWSL Premier Cup on six successive occasions between 1997 and 2002 [4] and the FAI Women's Cup on five successive occasions between 1997 and 2001. [5] This meant that Rovers also won four successive trebles between 1998 and 2001. Rovers' leading player during this era was Olivia O'Toole.

UCD era

During the mid-2000s UCD replaced Shamrock Rovers as the DWSL's strongest team. With a team that included Sylvia Gee and Mary Waldron, UCD were league champions four times in a row between 2003 and 2006. [5] They also won the DWSL Premier Cup in 2004, 2005 and 2007, and the FAI Women's Cup three times in a row between 2002 and 2004 [6] and achieved the treble in 2004.

DWSL teams in Europe

Between 2001 and 2010 several DWSL teams played in the UEFA Women's Cup after winning the FAI Women's Cup. In 2002–03, Shamrock Rovers became the first women's team to represent the Republic of Ireland in Europe. [7] UCD became the second Republic of Ireland team to qualify for Europe after winning the cup. UCD played in the 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06 UEFA Women's Cups. Other DWSL teams to play in Europe included St Francis, Peamount United and Dundalk W.F.C. The latter came about under bizarre circumstances. In 2005 Dundalk City won the FAI Women's Cup [8] [9] and as a result qualified for the 2006–07 UEFA Women's Cup. However, in 2006 a split developed within Dundalk City over a plan for the club to fully merge with Dundalk F.C. This effectively saw the emergence of two separate women's teams. Dundalk City was re-established as an independent club while Dundalk W.F.C. became affiliated with the League of Ireland club. Following complications that resulted from the split, it was Dundalk W.F.C. that went on to represent the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Women's Cup. [10] [11] [12]

WNL and DWSL

When the Women's National League was formed in 2011, three of the six founding members – Peamount United, Raheny United and Shamrock Rovers – were members of the DWSL. All three clubs continued to enter reserve teams in the DWSL once the WNL was established. As the WNL expanded two more teams, UCD and Shelbourne, also switched from the DWSL to the WNL.

2016 teams

Premier Division

TeamHome town/suburbGround
Bray Wanderers Bray Carlisle Grounds
Dundalk Dundalk Oriel Park
Sporting Kilmore Coolock Oscar Traynor Road
Monaghan United Monaghan Gortakeegan
Peamount United B Newcastle, South Dublin Greenogue
Raheny United Raheny St Anne's Park
St Francis Baldonnel, Dublin John Hyland Park
St Catherine's Walkinstown/The Liberties, Dublin Walkinstown Avenue

[13] [14]

Major Division

TeamHome town/suburbGround
Albion Rovers Monasterboice Muireachs Park
Cabinteely Cabinteely Kilbogget Park
Drimnagh Celtic Drimnagh
Eureka Kells Kells, County Meath Dublin Road
Lakelands Stillorgan
Leixlip United Leixlip Leixlip Amenities Centre
Peamount United C Newcastle, South Dublin Greenogue
Templeogue Templeogue

[13] [15]

List of winners by season

SeasonWinnerRunners-up−15B.C
2015 Shelbourne [16]
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010 Peamount United [17]
2009 St Francis [18]
2008 St Francis [19] St Catherine's
2007
2006 UCD Peamount United
2005 UCD Peamount United
2004 UCD Shamrock Rovers
2003 UCD Shamrock Rovers
2002 Shamrock Rovers UCD
2001 Shamrock Rovers Rathfarnham United
2000 Shamrock Rovers Shelbourne
1999 Shamrock Rovers Shelbourne
1998 Shamrock Rovers Shelbourne
1997 St Patrick's Athletic Shamrock Rovers
1996 Castle Rovers O'Connell Chics
1995 Castle Rovers Welsox F.C.
1994Elm RoversVerona F.C.

[3]

DWSL Premier Cup

The DWSL Premier Cup is the main league cup competition for DWSL clubs. The cup is also known as Pat Breheny Memorial Premier Cup. The cup was first played for in 1997 and Shamrock Rovers subsequently won the competition on six successive occasions. In 2003 Dundalk City became first team apart from Rovers to win the competition. [4] [20]

List of DWSL Premier Cup finals

SeasonWinnerScoreRunners-upVenue−15B.C
2016 Boyne Rovers 1–2 T.E.K Utd
2015 [21] Peamount United 2–0 Shelbourne
2014
2013 [note 1] [22] Greenogue
2012
2011
2010 Peamount United [17] [23] 5–1 St Francis
2009 St Francis [18]
2008
2007 UCD
2006
2005 UCD 2–0 Dundalk City AUL Complex
2004 UCD 6–1 St James's Gate
2003 Dundalk City 3–2 St James's Gate Bluebell United
2002 Shamrock Rovers
2001 Shamrock Rovers
2000 Shamrock Rovers
1999 Shamrock Rovers
1998 Shamrock Rovers
1997 Shamrock Rovers

Source: [6] [24] [25]

Notes

  1. ↑ The finalists were Peamount United and St Catherine's.

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References

  1. ↑ Fan Hong, J. A. Mangan (2004). Soccer, Women, Sexual Liberation: Kicking Off a New Era. Frank Cass Publishers.
  2. ↑ "EL Clubs with Women's teams". foot.ie. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Ireland – List of Women Champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Holders Dundalk ladies reach cup semi-final". The Irish Independent. 3 September 2004. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Ireland – List of Women Cup Winners". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  6. 1 2 "UCD women's Soccer Club Honours". ucd.ie. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  7. ↑ Schöggl, Hans (10 July 2003). "2002–03 UEFA Women's Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Dundalk take women's trophy". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  9. ↑ "Hoey pounces to seal victory". The Irish Times. 5 December 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "Serious split sees cup winners go it alone". The Irish Independent. 8 March 2006. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "No merger of teams for big European quest". The Irish Independent. 12 July 2006. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  12. ↑ "Who Should Get the Women's UEFA Cup Place?". orielweb.com. 12 April 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Dublin women's soccer league". www.herald.ie. 12 July 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  14. ↑ "Premier League Fixtures & Results". www.dwsl.ie. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  15. ↑ "Major League Fixtures & Results". www.dwsl.ie. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "Shelbourne Ladies F.C. Honours". shelbournelfc.ie. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  17. 1 2 "Peamount Prepare for Champions Challenge". shekicks.net. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  18. 1 2 "St. Francis braced for UEFA Champions League". fai.ie. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  19. ↑ "Ireland (Women) 2008". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  20. ↑ "Dundalk City WFC have enjoyed much success". femalesoccer.net. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  21. ↑ "Peamount United win DWSL league cup". peamount.com. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  22. ↑ "peamount hit kilmore for 8". herald.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  23. ↑ "Peamount win Premier Cup". foot.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  24. ↑ "Dundalk City cup joy". The Irish Independent. 17 October 2003. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  25. ↑ "UCD Leading The Field in Men and Women's Soccer" (PDF). ucd.ie. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
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