Bohemians goalkeeper Rachael Kelly is about to etch herself into family folklore by following in the footsteps of her grandfather and playing in an FAI Cup final.
Jack Kelly helped Shelbourne to win the 1960 decider against Cork Hibernians at Dalymount Park. On Sunday, Rachael will be between the sticks for Bohs as they aim to upset the odds at Tallaght Stadium and deny Athlone Town a league and cup double.
Kelly is a proud Bohs centurion – herself, Katie Lovely and Lisa Murphy are the only women to have reached that milestone with the women's side.
The Coolock native offers crucial experience to a young squad, but admits being part of a blue riband occasion is a lot to take in after a lifetime’s journey in the game. It began with her brother Mark cajoling her into keeping goal in the back garden. On Sunday evening, it could peak with Kelly lifting the cup as Bohs captain.
"You see your brother as some sort of superhero when you are younger, so he’s the person I looked up to and then also my granddad Jack also played football, so it’s in the family," she reflected.
"My dad was a big footballer too. It’s certainly in the family, but it was definitely getting out the back and having my brother belting the ball at me from five yards.
"Within my community, you have a lot of people coming up to you just saying 'best of luck’ and ‘we're rooting for you’. It means everything, and then also when you get into Phibsborough, it's decorated with red and black, it's quite special."
The women’s team attended the men’s FAI Cup final in 2023 (Bohs lost to St Pat’s), but they’ll be the centre of attention this time around, desperate to bring a trophy back to Dalymount.
"They are certainly special," Kelly said of the men’s Aviva Stadium showpieces.
"We’d go as a team. The full squad would go. We are involved in the build-up, the atmosphere, we’ve seen what it means to people and the club. I know a couple of the lads will be here to support us on Sunday too, so it’s great to have that.
"Ultimately you want to play at the Aviva. It’s where you want to play. But maybe (the women’s cup final) is better as a standalone, as its own occasion, that it’s not overlooked by the men’s game."
It’s going to take a special performance for Bohemians to do the business on Sunday.
Twenty points separated champions Athlone from seventh-placed Bohs by the end of the campaign, though the Gyspsies run to the All-Island Cup final is evidence that they relish big one-off clashes.
Still, Kelly can expect a busy afternoon against a side packed with attacking talent.
"Athlone have done great things," she added. "They’ve gotten the league’s name out there in the Champions League and they’ve done amazing things. There’s that underdog feeling, but sometimes there is no better feeling. You go out there and give it absolutely everything you have, and ultimately you hope it works for you on the day.
"We’ve had different kinds of results in the last few weeks. Recently we were 3-1 down and we got it back to 3-3, so probably having those different experiences does help coming in. We all know it’s never over until that final whistle. No matter what happens in the first 10 or 15 minutes, you’ve got another 80-odd to go."
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