The club was established in 1877 and became a founder member of the Provincial Towns Union, which then merged into what became the Northern Branch of the
Irish Rugby Football Union. They later joining the Leinster branch of the IRFU. They have been a junior club throughout their existence, with the exception of the 2015–16 season when they competed in Division 2C of the
All-Ireland League.
Their first tournament win was a
Leinster Junior Cup victory in 1908–09. They won their first
Leinster Towns Cup in 1931–32 and have won the competition ten times, with the most recent victory coming in 2010–11. They have been
Leinster League Division 1 winners twice, in 1994–95 and in 2014–15.
They moved to their present home ground at Mill Road in 1967, having previously played at Ballymascanlon. In earlier years, matches were played at a number of grounds in the town, including the grounds at
Dundalk Grammar School, the Polo Field, Mount Avenue, and the Athletic Grounds. The team has played in black and white hooped shirts with white or black shorts since its reformation in 1906. The club's crest is based on the town's coat of arms.