Izzy Groves and Kelly Brady join Athlone Town for 2025 season

Athlone Town have begun preparations to defend their league title by bringing in two new signings and announcing seven more from their 2024 squad.

New manager Colin Fortune has added two exciting names to Athlone’s 2025 roster, with midfielder Izzy Groves arriving from the London Lionesses and Kelly Brady coming in from the US.

Groves is a Canadian-born Jamaican international with experience playing in the US, Portugal, France, and England, while Brady is a Republic of Ireland WU19 international who grew up as a dual GAA and soccer star in her hometown of Tomkins Cove, New York.

Among the players Fortune has re-signed from last year’s title-winning side, Athlone fans will be relieved to see Madison Gibson, who has been at the heart of the club’s attack since joining in the summer of 2022.

Gibson scored seven league goals during Athlone’s run to the league crown but is just as effective a provider as a goalscorer. Playing wide on the left, it remains to be seen who will mirror her efforts on the right side of Athlone’s attack, but the re-signing of young right-winger Isabel Ryan offers an option there.

Ryan is slowly building up experience in Athlone’s senior squad, and the coming season could prove pivotal in her development.

Hazel Donegan is another young player to sign up for the coming year, having laid waste to defences in the Women’s U19 league. She also scored twice for the senior side and made 20 appearances in 2024, mostly coming into play from the bench.

In defence, Athlone have re-signed three of last season’s regular back four: centre-backs Kayleigh Shine and Jesi Rossman, as well as securing the services of attacker-turned-full-back Kellie Brennan.

Further defensive cover will be provided by young full-back Ciara O’Neill.

Athlone will open the defence of their league crown at home to Wexford on Saturday, 8 March (kick-off 7:30 pm).