The 2019 season saw the club renamed DLR Waves.
Graham Kelly was appointed manager of the club ahead of the 2019 season. Kelly would go on to become the clubs longest serving manager.
2019 was notable for Jetta Berrill having a 2nd spell with the club, and Ireland international goalkeeper Eve Badana signing for The Waves. Berrill would return again in 2021, and Badana would establish herself as a club legend over the course of the seasons that followed.
The Waves finished in 6th place in the 2019 campaign with 16 points after 21 games. DLR had a record of 5 wins, 1 draw, and 15 losses.
2020 was a notable year with the league being expanded, and ultimately postponed due to the Pandemic. Due to the lockdown restrictions the season was delayed from March to June to eventually August. A reduced campaign saw the 9 teams in the league play each other once, before the table was split into a top 5 and bottom 4, with the teams playing the rest of the sides in their respective section. The Waves finished top of the bottom section with 10 points, finishing higher than Athlone Town on goal difference. In 11 games The Waves won 2, drew 4 and lost 5.
The 2021 season was more successful for DLR Waves who would move to playing home games in the UCD Bowl. The club finished 4th in the league table behind only the established big 3 of Shelbourne, Pamount United, and Wexford Youths. In the 27 game round season DLR Waves solidified their grasp on 4th place in the 4th round of fixtures and remained their for the remainder of the campaign. Highlights of the season included draws against Peamount United and Wexford Youths. Despite success in the league The Waves were disappointingly eliminated in the FAI Cup at the Quarter-Final stage. Eve Badana was included in the team of the year this season. The 9 team league saw each side play 24 games, of which DLR Waves won 12, drew 3, and lost 9. DLR Waves finished on 39 points scoring 34 goals. Notably former Ireland international Jess Gleeson signed for the club this season, with Gleeson going on to become club captain.
September 2021 was notable for Irish language channel TG4 airing the first televised league match, which featured DLR Waves. The Waves were beaten 1-0 by Shelbourne. The season is also notable for the LOITV platform beginning to stream WNL games.
The 2022 season saw the league expanded to 10 teams. Each club played 27 games. DLR finished with a record of 11 wins, 7 draws, and 9 losses, and reached a total of 40 points while scoring 51 goals. The most notable result of the season saw The Waves beat champions Shelbourne 1-0 at the UCD Bowl. Unfortunately for DLR the side struggled largely with inconsistent form throughout the season, ultimately finishing in 5th place. The season did see success for the u19s side who won the league title at their age level.
2022 saw the creation of the DLR Waves supporters club.
This period was a year of growth for Irish women’s football with a significant growth in coverage of the league. Notable the senior international team became more prominently featured in media and would earn qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Following this season the Women’s National League would be incorporated into the League of Ireland umbrella, setting up a new era for Irish women’s football.
Next Chapter: 2023 Season
