Kelly Brady, a native of New York, was recently honored at The Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year awards for her key role in helping her soccer club Athlone Town win the league and cup double.
Brady was named the Sportswoman of the Month for October after what was an amazing debut season for the Irish American player who qualifies for Ireland through her father, who is from Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, and her grandfather on her mother's side, who is from Kinvara, Co Galway.
The striker, who is now reported to be on her way to English WSL2 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.
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Brady, who won Div 2 and Div 3 Feile na nGael titles in Gaelic football as a youngster with Rockland GAA in New York and was capped at U-19 level in soccer by Ireland, was invited to train with the international squad last year by manager Carla Ward off the back of her goal-scoring exploits.
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The in-form striker had no fears about moving to Athlone in Co Kildare 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," Brady said.
"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.”
Sportswoman of the Year Awards
Sportswoman of the Year 2025 honorees. (Barry Cronin)
Organizers say the aim of the Sportswoman of the Year awards is to recognize the abilities and achievements of women in Irish sports. The awards run over a 12-month period, with the judges selecting a winner/s each month for her/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.
At the Irish Times Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year Awards 2025, track and field star Kate O'Connor was named the overall Sportswoman of the Year, and Mayo Gaelic footballer Cora Staunton won the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award.
Sportswoman Monthly Award Winners 2025
- December 2024: Ellen Walshe - Swimming
- January 2025: Hazel Finn - Basketball
- February 2025: Lara Gillespie - Cycling
- March 2025: Kate O’Connor and Sarah Healy - Athletics
- April 2025: Aoife Wafer - Rugby
- May 2025: Katie McCabe - Soccer
- June 2025: Fiona Murtagh - Rowing
- July 2025: Katie Taylor - Boxing
- August 2025: Katie George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly - Cycling
- September 2025: Aoife O’Rourke - Boxing, and Orla Comerford - Athletics
- October 2025: Kelly Brady - Soccer
- November 2025: Caitríona Jennings – Athletics
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