The club was an offshoot of what was previously called
Kingstown Club or simply Kingstown which had numerous early Irish rugby internationals to its name and was recorded as having at least two senior teams in the 1880s. The club was formally founded in 1883 as one of the first in Ireland in
Monkstown as the name suggests, but moved to the
Sandymount area in 1901 after leasing grounds at Sydney Parade from the
Earl of Pembroke. They have always had a military connection, with
British Army soldiers among the players. In fact, many of their players were casualties in the
Boer War and the
First World War, including internationals
Ernest Deane,
Basil Maclear and
Pierce O'Brien-Butler. Since Irish independence many servicemen - soldiers, sailors as well as airmen - have turned out for the club and
Leinster provincial teams. The
Irish Defence Forces team regularly play their French counterparts at Sydney Parade. Monkstown has hosted a number of international teams over the years, such as
Australia, when they won the
World Cup in 1991. Monkstown won the 2023/24
Leinster Junior 1A League and regained senior status after defeating
Bangor in the AIL promotion/relegation playoffs. ==International players==