Athlone Town Stadium - Athlone Town Stadium Guide

Athlone Town Stadium was built in 2007 to replace the ageing St Mel’s Park Stadium which Athlone used for just under 80 years, having first moved there in 1928. The new ground which is often referred to by fans as Lissywollen has a total capacity of 5,000, including 2,024 seats making the ration between seating and standing around 60:40 which serves the current fan base of The Town well.

As a supporter owned club, raising the necessary finance for the new stadium was a difficult process and Athlone Town incurred debts estimated to be just under €500,000 when constructing their new stadium. Fortuitously four year later, an anonymous donor wiped out the club’s remaining debts as a result of the move, writing a cheque thought to be as large as half a million euros.

With relegation from The Irish Premier Division during the 2014 season, the new stadium is yet to witness any of the exciting of the previous ground, with St Mel’s Park Stadium famously hosting a legendary encounter between Athlone and A.C Milan during the 1975/1976 UEFA Cup with the home side securing a 0-0 draw against all odds, although succumbing to a 3 nil defeat in the return leg at the San Siro.

The club also hosted Norwegian side Vålerenga Fotball during the same edition of the competition and if Lissywollen can ever host such prestigious European ties again, it would be beyond the wildest expectations of most Athlone Town fans.

View of Athlone Town Stadium

Athlone Town’s stadium is comprised of four stands: North, East, South and West.

Click the thumbnails above to enlarge an image of each stand and to read a more detailed description of each part of the Stadium.

Away fans are housed in the southernmost section of the main stand which furtherest away from the turnstile towards the blank section of blue seating  and the letter A. Whilst views are unobstructed, the roof leaves a lot to be desired on a rainy matchday, however the lively atmosphere and banter between both sets of supporters more than makes up for it.

Although one may expect there to be a club run supporters bar which is often a good source of income for the club, there currently isn’t one at Athlone Town’s Lissywollen. Most of your drinking options are instead located back towards town particularly along the banks of the River Shannon.

Here there is the likes of Gertie Browne, The Castle Inn and Sean’s Bar which is a community hub with supposedly 1000 years of history. Although obviously not true, it is nevertheless a cosy little pub with low-ceilings, a pleasant riverside garden and a decent selection of ale on tap.

Underneath the stand there is no concourse as such with the support beams exposed to the elements however there are one or two catering vans which provided warm food, snacks and drinks on  matchdays.

Athlone Town Club Shop

Although there are no officially listed times for the club shop based on the opening times for the office below, someone who can sell you a shirt or whatever should on hand at the stadium between these times:

• Weekdays: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
• Tuesday: 2.00 pm – 8.00 pm
• Weekends: Closed

Failing this, you could always just wait until the day of a match.

It doesn’t appear as if the club offer fans a tour of the facilities at Athlone Town Stadium, however as Athlone is a small and friendly club you might be able to arrange a little tour if you ask nicely ([email protected]), although this is entirely at their discretion.

Athlone Town’s stadium is located approximately 1.8 km north-east from the town centre and despite its proximity to the centre of town it does feel slightly further away.

The address for satnav is as follows:

• Athlone Town Stadium, Brawney Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland.

Car Parks

There is a fairly large car park located just outside the main entrance, however it can fill up quickly so make sure you get there early if you desperately need a space.

Athlone Railway Station is located 1.5 kilometres south-west of the stadium, and once you have arrived the journey is very walkable at a time of around 20 minutes by foot.

Public Transport of Athlone Town Stadium

All of the accommodation nearby to Lissywollen Stadium are to be found back towards the city centre. On the eastern bank of the River Shannon there is the likes of The Prince of Wales Hotel and Sheraton Athlone, and to the west there is The Shamrock Lodge Hotel.