Project Challenge
Athletics Ireland approached us at a crossroads. Their main website, athleticsireland.ie had been built on a heavily customised WordPress setup. Instead of using widely adopted practices like Roots Sage, which we use in our own customised builds to keep them modern, maintainable, and industry-standard, this system relied on a bespoke framework layered into WordPress.
The result was a platform that was fragile, undocumented, and difficult for anyone but the original developers to support. Even simple tasks such as migrating to a new host or setting up a staging environment became complex. And with the original developers no longer providing support, Athletics Ireland needed a new technical partner who could step in and take control.
The Solution
Our first step was to gain full visibility. We worked closely with Athletics Ireland to collect hosting credentials, access to code repositories, and a current copy of the database. From there, our development team began piecing together how the system worked.
The transition required careful problem solving. The bespoke “chameleon” layer sitting inside WordPress wasn’t compatible with typical managed WordPress hosts, which ruled out a straightforward move to providers like Kinsta or WP Engine. Instead, we stabilised the setup on it’s existing hosting and introduced Forge to give us structured deployment management. This allowed us to keep the existing architecture running smoothly while putting proper processes in place for future updates.
We also brought control of the codebase under our management, moving packages and dependencies into repositories we could maintain. Our developers worked through caching, environment, and build issues step by step until the system was stable and reproducible in local development. With that foundation in place, we could finally add the sites to our maintenance schedule and start planning improvements.
The Results
Today, Athletics Ireland has a reliable digital partner in place. Their main site and sub-sites are documented, maintained, and monitored under a clear monthly support plan. What was once a fragile system with limited visibility is now structured and manageable.
The shift has given Athletics Ireland confidence that their digital platforms are stable and supported. They no longer need to worry about being locked into a setup that only the original developers understood. Instead, they have a predictable support structure, a technical team they can call on, and a plan for making the sites better over time.
For Athletics Ireland, that means they can focus on their mission, supporting athletes and growing the sport, while knowing their digital platforms are in safe hands.
Visit the client website here – athleticsireland.ie