December Parents Newsletter

Happy Christmas from Dalkey United

Winters in Ireland are getting wetter. We have been faced with this reality over the past few months again and we see how it affects our club.  

Since Oct 4, we have been able to play a full weekend round of fixtures on our pitches on only three occasions. 

This is frustrating for everyone but especially all our players who train hard two or three times a week during the tough winter months and often don’t have a game at the end of it. 

Last year we had a very positive meeting with DLR about access to all weather pitches and subsequently there were encouraging noises about investment in Hyde to improve the grass there.  

Over the past few weeks we have contacted DLR and local politicians about the situation again because action is needed now. The question I get asked most by parents at the club is why we are investing in a multimillion euro clubhouse when our pitches are in such a poor state. Getting access and improvement to pitches will always be the club’s priority. 

In the meantime, we must hope for drier weather when matches resume in 2026.  

Looking ahead, on Jan 23 we will have our next Friday night event in the clubhouse. We will be joined by Will Clarke who is the League of Ireland Academy Development Manager at the FAI. 

Will is one of the people who makes you hopeful about the future for Irish football. He was a key figure in securing government funding for League of Ireland academies which it is hoped will have a transformative effect on Irish football. Will will join us to discuss the future of Irish football, player pathways and the importance of community clubs. We would love to see as many members as possible at this talk. 

Finally we would like to wish all parents, coaches, volunteers and especially our players a very Happy Christmas. The commitment shown through the year is incredible and we hope you all get a well-earned rest. 

Thank you for all you do for the club. 

Born to Lead Programme

The DDSL has launched a new initiative to find the next generation of referees. For all players at Dalkey United who are over 16 on Jan 1 2026, there is now a programme to develop as referees. The DDSL will be looking from players from teams at the age level to referee in the initial stages games up to U-11. Training and kit will be provided by the DDSL. This is a very important and necessary development. Please contact Graham at [email protected] for more information. 

Girls Academy Places Open

Our Saturday Morning Academy is almost full — but we’re delighted to have a few remaining places for girls born in 2018, 2019, and 2020 starting in the new year.

Training takes place on Saturday mornings at Castle Park Astro, offering a fun and supportive environment for young players to learn and enjoy football. Contact Clare on 086 1943102 for the registration link. 

Please spread the word and help us grow our fantastic girls’ section!  

Dalkey United Under 15 Looking for a Keeper

Dalkey United Under 15 Sunday division 1 (born 2011) are seeking an experienced goalkeeper to add to our excellent squad. We are also looking to add one strong outfield player. Please contact Robert on 0831005540 if this is of interest 

Dalkey United Under 12 Looking for New Players

There are limited spots available on the 2014 boys squad. Contact Dion on 083 817 0100. 

Highlighting our Senior Team

We have a brilliant Senior team with loads of tenure in the club. We thought it was about time that we shared a bit about them. Here’s a bit about Conor and Tom!

We’re Looking for a number of roles to be filled 

Communications Lead 

We need to find a new Communications expert to take our member and player comms to the next level. We’re looking for someone who can help us foster a sense of community, improve engagement, and ensure all our members are informed and involved in club activities. This will include our monthly newsletters, developing our social media presence and any other ideas that can increase engagement and publicise Dalkey United’s achievements and events. 

Behaviour and Disciplinary Officer (BDO) 

This will be an additional club liaison person between the club and DDSL on all behaviour and disciplinary matters. The appointed person must be garda vetted and have completed or applied for their safeguarding. The BDO will be responsible for supporting the DDSL Behaviour, Culture and Referee initiatives, including “Be a Ref” and “Junior Ref Academy” campaigns, “Born to Lead” Programmes and the “It’s My Game!” Silent Sideline initiative.

If you are interested please contact Dion at [email protected]. 

Club Kit for 25/26

We encourage all match aged players to wear the official track suit tops to training and matches.  These are available, in an extensive club shop, through our partners at Teamwear.