Niall Lanigan (Midfield): Joins from Moyle Park FC.
Niall played his schoolboy football with Crumlin United and Belvedere FC. He joined St Patrick's Athletic's U19 side in 2011/12 and came on as a late substitute for the First Team, in their Leinster Senior Cup final win against Bohemians in October 2011.
He left Inchicore at the end of 2011 and played briefly with Shelbourne's U19s before dropping to the Leinster Senior League and playing with his local side, Moyle Park. He was chosen to represent Ireland at U19 level in 2012.
December 2012 saw Niall signing for Roddy Collins at Athlone Town and his first appearance for the midlanders was in a scoreless draw against Mervue United on the opening weekend of the 2013 season. He made 15 league appearances as Athlone won the 2013 First Division title. He also played for 'Town' in the Leinster Senior Cup against Shelbourne that season (Reds winning 3-1). The FAI Cup saw him play in a 2-2 draw with Bluebell United and in the replay, which the Dublin side won 3-2.
He left Athlone at the end of the 2013 season and joined up again with Moyle Park, where he has played since – while he also made some appearances for Round Towers GAA Club.
James O’Brien (Midfield): Joins from Bluebell United
James played his early football with his home own club, Cherry Orchard, before signing with Birmingham City in 2006. After three years with Birmingham, he moved on to Bradford City where he made 25 appearances, scoring on two occasions.
The following year, 2010, James returned home and signed for St Patrick's Athletic, making 8 league appearances that season. 2011 saw him make just a single league, together with two in the EA Sports Cup – against Shamrock Rovers (1-1, winning 3-1 on penalties) and Cork City (1-2). He then joined Longford Town under Tony Cousins in July that year, making his debut for the Midlanders at home against Shelbourne the following month (Shels winning 3-1). Having made eight league appearances for the Town before the end of the season, he re-signed for the 2012 season, but having made just one late substitute league appearance, left in July.
He joined Roddy Collin’s Athlone Town in March 2013 and featured in 13 league games, winning a First Division winner’s medal and earning a promotion to the Premier Division for the 2014 season. He stayed with Athlone for the 2014 season, playing in 30 league games and scoring five goals. His side were, however, relegated at the end of the season.
His then manager, Keith Long left Athlone and joined Bohemians, James being one of the players he asked to join him there. The ‘Gypsies’ finished fifth in the Premier Division that season and James once more moved club, this time to Waterford United and his former manager Roddy Collins. After scoring three goals in 18 league appearances, he left the RSC and joined Bluebell United in August 2016.
Robert Bayly (Midfield): Joins from Bluebell United
Robert Bayly spent two years at Leeds United after signing from Cherry Orchard, before returning home at the start of 2009 and signing for Sporting Fingal, winning an FAI Cup medal with them that season.
The start of the 2010 season saw him signed by Michael O’Neill for Shamrock Rovers. He won a league medal with the Hoops that year but missed the FAI Cup Final, which they lost to Sligo Rovers, through suspension.
The start of 2011 saw Pat Fenlon bring him to Bohemians. He made 25 league appearances for the Gypsies that season but moved on again for the following season, this time to Roddy Collins’s Monaghan United. When ‘Mons’ withdrew from the league in June 2012, he went to Longford Town.
Alan Mathews brought him to Shelbourne at the beginning of 2013. He made 18 appearances in a bad season for Shels, with Johnny McDonnell replacing Mathews and the Reds being relegated at the end of that season.
Bayly moved on once more – back to Shamrock Rovers – in February 2014, playing for both their ‘Premier’ team and their ‘B’ team, making 21 times for the former and two for the ‘B’s. Cliftonville signed him in January 2015 for the remainder of their season.
He linked up with Johnny McDonnell once more, this time at Drogheda United, in the mid-season ‘window’ of 2015. ‘Drogs’ were relegated on the last day of the season and Bayly moved on to Bluebell United in December. He stayed with Bluebell until the end of their season in June, when he signed for Roddy Collins (again) – this time at Waterford United. He left the ‘Blues’ in August having made just two appearances for them.
He returned to Bluebell in time for the start of the 2016-17 season.
Jamie Quinn (Goalkeeper): Joins from Athlone Town
Jamie played with Newbridge Town in 2012/13 and was part of the squad that qualified for the 2013 FAI Cup. He stayed with the club for the next few seasons before moving to Athlone Town in July 2016. He made his league debut away to Cabinteely on 1 July 2016 and made 9 league appearances for the Midlands club before season's end.
