Athlone football since 1972
Willow Park FC
A community club with boys, girls, women’s and men’s football at DPD Park in Kilmacuagh, Athlone.
Built by the Willow Park community
Willow Park’s official history dates the club to 1972. Residents of the new housing estate wanted local children to have a place to take part in sport. Frank Frawley led the early work alongside Frank Kiernan, Billy Doyle, Frank Sheeran and Sean Kelly. They cleared the area, arranged the first game and formed the first committee.
Early sides entered the revived Athlone Schoolboys League and the Midlands Schoolboy League. Amby Fogerty was the first registered player. The club also credits Padriac Nicholson, Denis Clark and Seamus Hayes for their help during its foundation years.
Willow Park Sports and Social Club was formed in 1984 to buy ten acres beside the estate. A first junior side entered the Midlands League in 1985, giving players from the schoolboy teams a route into adult football.
Football pathway
The club’s published history records schoolboy and schoolgirl football from under 6 to under 16, with 12 teams and about 150 young players at the time of that update. The current official Instagram profile describes a large underage programme with a nippers academy.
Senior football now includes sides in the Leinster Senior League and Combined Counties Football League. The club has also recorded men’s, women’s and over 35 football through its own results and reports. Exact age groups, squad places and training times change, so families should contact the club for the correct year of birth before attending.
The connected Irish Youth Football team list may not contain every Willow Park squad. The official club channels remain the source for academy intake, girls’ teams, adult registration and seasonal changes.
Honours and recognition
The club received the AVIVA FAI Club of the Month award in 2010. Willow Park’s official Facebook page also celebrated an under 13 league title in May 2025.
A complete club roll of honour has not been published in the sources checked for this profile. Those verified achievements are included without guessing at missing league and cup titles.
Red, black and the Willow tree
The crest uses a black shield with red edging, a green Willow tree, white lettering and the foundation year. The club’s first team presentation shows a red and black striped jersey. A 2022 under 15 photograph shows a white youth kit, so visitors should check the fixture notice where colours may clash.
The badge shown here matches the club record used by its Leinster Senior League profile.
DPD Park and facilities
Willow Park’s ground is DPD Park on Kilmacuagh Avenue, off Dublin Road in Athlone. The club’s DPD partnership announcement confirms the ground name and its use by the club’s schoolboy sides.
The site has two full size pitches, an astro training area and floodlights on the main senior pitch. Dressing rooms opened in 1997 and were improved in 2005. A new clubhouse completed in 2020 provides four full dressing rooms and separate rooms for referees.
Public sources do not give a permanent parking plan or a confirmed step free route. Ask the club before travel if those details affect your visit.
Joining and club contacts
Membership and club updates are available through the official Willow Park site. For a youth enquiry, give the player’s year of birth and ask about the nippers academy or the matching age group.
- General email: info@willowparkfc.ie.
- Club secretary: Bryan McCormack, 085 807 3984.
- Juvenile secretary: Paul Kehoe, 086 399 3147.
- Child welfare officer: Carrie Lynch, 086 370 9066.
The current committee list is on the official contact page. News is also published on Facebook and Instagram. No suitable official club or facilities film was found, so third party match footage is not embedded.