Brideville F.C.

Brideville Football Club, an Irish association football side, was founded in 1919 and originally based in The Liberties area of Dublin. The club was active across the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, competing in both the League of Ireland and the Leinster Senior League. They made history as the first winners of the FAI Junior Cup and also reached the FAI Cup final twice.

The club had three separate stints in the League of Ireland, totaling seventeen seasons. After winning the FAI Junior Cup and then the Leinster Senior Cup in back-to-back seasons, Brideville entered the League of Ireland for the 1925–26 season, replacing Brooklyn. That same season, their reserve team also won the Leinster Senior League. During their first League spell, Brideville appeared in two FAI Cup finals.

In 1926–27, with Fran Watters in the side, they lost 1–0 in a replay to Drumcondra, who were then in the Leinster Senior League. In 1929–30, featuring Peadar Gaskins, Joe O'Reilly, and Charlie Reid, they again lost 1–0, this time to Shamrock Rovers. According to Doolan and Goggins, Brideville were unlucky not to win the 1930 final, having created the better chances but failing to score. With less than a minute left, David Byrne, who later played for Brideville, scored the winner; years later, Byrne admitted he had handled the ball before scoring.

At the end of the 1931–32 season, Brideville failed to gain re-election to the League. They won the Leinster Senior League in 1932–33, and when the League of Ireland expanded from ten to twelve teams in 1935–36, Brideville rejoined alongside Reds United. Their best league finish came in 1937–38, when they placed fourth. After the 1942–43 season, they again failed to get re-elected, but returned after just one season, replacing St James's Gate for the 1944–45 campaign. That return lasted only one season, as they were not re-elected and were replaced by Waterford.

From 1925 to 1930, Brideville played home matches at Richmond Park. In 1930, St Patrick's Athletic took over as tenants, so Brideville moved to Harold's Cross Stadium, which they shared with Dolphins. During the 1939–40 season, they also used Green Lanes.

The club’s honours include two Leinster Senior League titles (1925–26, 1932–33), two FAI Cup runners-up finishes (1926–27, 1929–30), one Leinster Senior Cup win (1924–25), and one FAI Junior Cup win (1923–24). Notable former players include Ireland internationals Joe O'Reilly and Charlie Reid, both of whom were capped while playing for Brideville. The club’s top league scorer in a single season was Patrick Quinlan with 16 goals in 1930–31, and the all-time top league scorer was Charlie Reid with 27 goals across two spells (1929–32 and 1936–37).