Athlone Town women to feature in documentary series
Athlone Town AFC and award winning production power-house IRIS Productions have announced 'The Town' - a four-part documentary series filming across Athlone Town’s 2026 season.
Currently in production, the series follows the Athlone Town women's team through their 2026 UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign and pursuit of a third consecutive league title, while battling the realities of being a “part-time” team.
What separates 'The Town' from the myriad of team documentaries of recent years is who is on the pitch. Athlone Town women are a part-time squad, made up of police officers, baristas and students, alongside a handful of Americans on professional contracts.
They train three nights a week because most of the girls are working during the day or attending classes. It’s a side of professional football many people are not familiar with.
It could be said that the series arrives at a culturally relevant moment. The current season of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso follows AFC Richmond’s newly formed women’s team as they navigate similar real-world demands. ‘The Town’ serves as a real-life, unscripted complement to that storyline, capturing the authentic experience of athletes balancing elite sport with the grind of everyday life.
The club and IRIS Productions are in conversations with a range of Irish and international broadcasters and streaming platforms, with distribution expected to be announced in the coming months.
“There’s an abundance of content out there about the top 1% of athletes, but some of the best stories are found with the other 99%. Our players have incredibly compelling stories that I think will appeal to a wide audience, and timing is perfect. The growth in women’s football globally, combined with things like Ted Lasso and the upcoming 2027 Women’s World Cup mean all eyes are on women’s football,” said Athlone Town AFC co-chairman Andy Beal.
Kieran Hartigan, executive producer at IRIS Productions, spoke about what attracted the company to featuring Athlone Town.
"You don't need to be a football supporter to understand the stakes. These are people making choices that will be familiar to anybody who has ever tried to pursue an ambition while also having to pay the bills, build a career and work out what comes next," said Hartigan.
"Sport gives us an extraordinary narrative engine because nobody knows how the season is going to end. But the heart of the series is everything happening around those 90 minutes — their jobs, relationships, injuries, personalities, sacrifices and decisions that the scoreboard doesn't reflect.
"We have been given exceptional access by the club and, most importantly, by the players. Our ambition is to make a series that feels intimate, funny and entertaining as well as dramatic — a portrait of a team, a town and a moment of enormous change in women's football,” he added.
Founded in 1887, Athlone Town AFC is the oldest club in the League of Ireland. The women’s team, founded in 2019, recently secured the Women’s Premier Division title for the third year in a row.
Last season, Athlone also won the Women's FAI Cup and reached this year's final, losing out to Shelbourne last Sunday. The club competed in the UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifying rounds in both 2025 and 2026.