 Between 1946 and 1953 Aherne made 16 appearances for the FAI XI.He made his FAI debut in June 1946 during an Iberian tour, playing in both the 3–1 defeat to Portugal on 16 June and then helping the FAI XI gain a surprise 1–0 victory against Spain on 23 June.He remained a regular in the FAI XI throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s and featured prominently in the qualifying rounds for the 1950 World Cup.