Brady honoured at Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year awards
Kelly Brady was honoured at The Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year awards for her outstanding contribution to the Athlone Town women's team in 2025,
Brady was named the Sportswoman of the Month for October after what was an amazing debut season for the 23-year-old. The striker scored 26 goals as Athlone Town claimed a historic Premier Division and FAI Cup double.
The striker, who is reported to be on her way to WSL 2 side Crystal Palace, scored 26 goals in all competitions, most notably a hat-trick in Athlone’s 3-2 win over Bohemians in the FAI Cup Final at Tallaght Stadium.
Not surprisingly, Brady, a native of Tomkins Cove, 50 miles north of New York City, finished the season as the league’s top scorer before going on to win the Player of the Year for the 2025 Women’s Premier Division.
Brady, who won Division 2 and Division 3 Feile na nGael titles in Gaelic football as a youngster with New York and was capped at U19 level in soccer by Ireland. She was invited to train with the international squad last year by manager Carla Ward off the back of her goal scoring exploits.
The striker, who qualifies for Ireland through her Castleblayney-born father and, on her mother’s side, a grandfather from Kinvara, Co Galway, had no fears about moving to Athlone after she graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Multi-Disciplinary Studies.
“Ireland is my second home, I’d been here so many times, so I knew I’d have no trouble settling in. Going in to a new team can be hard, though, but everything came very easily. The girls were great, the staff was awesome, so I feel like I took it my stride. I hit the ground running.”
That she did and the goals flowed. She scored 19 in all in the league and another seven in cup competitions, her partnership with wingers Madie Gibson and Roisin Molloy proving especially profitable.
The move to Crystal Palace has still to be confirmed but Brady clearly sees playing full-time as a key step in progressing her career at club and international level.
“Playing in England would be a dream of mine, but it’s hard to go straight from America to there. Ireland seems to be a pipeline, though, lots of great players have gone there from here.”
Kate O’Connor, who crowned an unbelievable breakthrough year by winning silver in the heptathlon at the World Championships in Tokyo in September, was named The Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year 2025 at the awards ceremony.
Established in 2004, the aim of the Sportswoman of the Year awards is to recognise the abilities and achievements of women in Irish sports.
The awards run over a 12-month period, with the judges selecting a winner each month for their ability to excel at sport. From the 12 monthly winners, the overall Sportswoman of the Year is selected and announced in December.
The winner is decided by a judging panel, which is represented by individuals from the world of sports journalism.