About St Francis FC

St Francis FC is an Irish football club originally founded in 1958 in The Liberties area of Dublin. The club began as a schoolboy team created by John Hyland and his friends before expanding into adult football in the late 1960s. Over time, St Francis developed into one of the strongest intermediate clubs in Ireland, competing in the Leinster Senior League and building a reputation for producing talented young players. The club is now based at John Hyland Park in Baldonnel, County Dublin.

The club became nationally famous during the 1989–90 season when it reached the FAI Cup final as a non-League of Ireland side, an achievement considered one of the greatest cup runs in Irish football history. St Francis defeated several senior teams on the way to the final before eventually losing to Bray Wanderers at Lansdowne Road in front of a crowd of more than 33,000 spectators. This remarkable run established the club as one of the best-known amateur and intermediate sides in the country.

In 1996, St Francis joined the League of Ireland First Division and competed there for five seasons. Although the club struggled to attract large crowds and spent most seasons near the bottom of the table, it remained an important part of Dublin football. After withdrawing from the league in 2001 following failed merger discussions with St Patrick’s Athletic, St Francis returned to the Leinster Senior League. Today, the club continues to operate successful youth, women’s, and amateur teams while maintaining its strong community identity.