If two is company, then Athlone Town and Shelbourne have been able to enjoy their combined hegemony at the top of the Women's League of Ireland in recent years. But neutrals may wish to see a third or fourth team emerge to make the 2026 title battle more crowded.
Athlone and Shels have occupied first and second places for three of the last four seasons with only Peamount United’s league win in 2023 causing an interruption. Those four years have also seen the midlanders and the Tolka Park club share all the FAI Cup wins with three of the four runners-up places as well.
Several teams may want to muscle in alongside or ahead of the established order, but the one team who has arguably made the boldest moves in attempting to do so this off-season has been Shamrock Rovers.
Their appointment of James O’Callaghan could be significant. He was manager of the Peamount team mentioned earlier who finished above both Athlone and Shelbourne in 2022 and is the only boss in the league to have taken charge of a full league-winning campaign. (John Sullivan guided Athlone Town through the final five games of last season.)
O’Callaghan has a total of 161 games experience in this league which is nearly more than the 181 of the other 11 managers combined.
There are some reasons why Athlone Town and Shelbourne could be hauled in this year. Shelbourne were just three points ahead of Galway United in third last year and four the year before. Their six games lost in 2025 were more than any Shels team have had with their points per game of 2.18 the lowest since 2017 and second-lowest ever.
They will be led by Sean Russell who has just one year of management experience and has to deal with some big departures like Noelle Murray (combined 10 goals and assists with the highest shots on target percentage – 63.8%), Mackenzie Anthony (16 goals the second-most in the last three season) and Amanda McQuillan (eight clean sheets – second-most in the league).
Athlone’s relatively new manager Sullivan has similar worries with losses from his squad. Gone are goalkeeper Megan Plaschko who had a league-leading nine clean sheets from just 15 starts, Kelly Brady whose 18 goals in 2025 was the most of anyone in the last three years and Izzy Groves, who captained the team to a successful title defence.
Shamrock Rovers have recruited well to improve in some key areas. They had an xG per shot of 0.128 last year, that was sixth-best in the league and well behind leaders Athlone (0.154) and Shels (0.15), but they have brought in players who can help with better creativity.
Only three players since 2021, including the retired Aine O’Gorman, have more assists in the league than Sadhbh Doyle’s 26 and that’s despite not starting a game in 2024 due to injury. Also added is Ireland international Ellen Molloy who was third in the league last year for assists with six to go with her 11 goals.
At the back, the departure of Scarlett Herron to Hibernian meant they lost the player with the best aerial duel success rate (71%) in the league last season, but they have added the player just behind in second. Therese Kinnevey joins from Galway United where she won 70% of her aerial duels in 2025.
Coming back for a second spell to help a defence that was just sixth-best is experienced keeper Amanda Budden. In her 19 games last year with Peas, she allowed just 1.05 goals per game, a record only bettered by Athlone Town.
There is much ground to be gained for the Hoops who finished 18 points behind Athlone last year and 20 the year before. But on their return to the league in 2023, they were just seven behind champions Peamount after another pre-season full of exciting squad additions.
What cost them in that campaign was a lack of goals in away games to the other leading clubs. They scored 14 times away to the bottom four sides but just four against the six best. The same fragility was evident last year when after an impressive opening day win at Tolka Park, they suffered losses away to Galway United, Wexford and Athlone Town. They were able to score 20 times against the five lowest ranked clubs but against the rest scored just seven in six.
Something else the new signings can do is increase the average age of the side.
In 2025 they had an average of 22.5, above just three other sides as academy talents like Ella Kelly (17), Anna Butler (17) and Katie O’Reilly (17) all got plenty of playing time, but it left them behind Shelbourne (26.8) and Athlone (23.4) when it came to experience.
If it is not to be Shamrock Rovers to rise closer to the top of the table, there are other contenders who deserve a mention.
Galway United have been fourth, third and third in the last three seasons and have scored more goals than Athlone Town in each of the last two seasons. They have kept continuity with a manager and squad that is still one of the youngest in the league with an average age of 22.
No team picked up more points over the last eight games of the season than Peamount who will look to take that form into 2026, but they will do so having lost several big players to both Shamrock Rovers and retirement.
Bohemians showed what they were capable of with good wins on the way to winning the All-Island Cup and an FAI Cup final appearance. They will also be under new management and lost centre-back Rachel McGovern to their rivals from Tallaght.
Wexford may look to build upon winning an extra 10 points from 2024 to 2025 and achieving their highest finish since 2021. But Ellen Molloy has left for Shamrock Rovers also with stalwart Kylie Murphy’s retirement creating a challenge for new manager Dave Connell.
Three-quarters of the league will be starting the 2026 season with a different manager from a year ago with six of those having never managed any club in the league. That gives a lot of opportunities for clubs to reinvent themselves and push up the league.
Shamrock Rovers have looked do so by bringing some of the most proven talent available in this country. Other clubs have looked abroad to build in a way which has proven successful for back-to-back champions Athlone Town.
The waiting is almost over to find out who has the right formula for 2026.
