Amy Boyle Carr content to drive forward now with Donegal

Amy Boyle Carr might well have only just turned 22 but she still feels she’s making up for lost time in the Donegal senior football jersey. 

The talented Glenties girl has been juggling soccer and GAA commitments now for most of her sporting life. She admits that blending of efforts didn’t always allow her to put her best foot forward. 

But having finally made a decision to go all in with Donegal last term, the outcome was spectacular. The Naomh Conaill club woman was one of the standout performers in a campaign that came agonisingly close on most fronts. 

Maxi Curran’s girls looked set to lift the Ulster crown back in May of last year. However, they coughed up leads at the end of both normal and extra-time and were agonisingly piped by Armagh. 

They’d previously broken new ground by reaching the Division 1 NFL decider but were just about edged out by Meath. The sides would cross swords once more in the All-Ireland semi-finals. 

And for a large chunk of that battle it looked like Donegal were headed for the decider. But level with 10 minutes to go, and down a player following the sin-binning of star performer Vikki Wall, holders Meath dug deep with three late Emma Duggan scores to progress at Donegal’s expense. 

“The view on last season was pretty positive, we were so close in both the league and All-Ireland,” said Boyle Carr. “We got a lot of praise. But at the end of the day we still lost the Ulster final and we also came up short in the All-Ireland semis against Meath. 

“Regardless, of the overall view, like I say, as a player at that time it was just so crushing. We knew we could and should have got over the line on both those occasions. That’s why it probably hurt so much. 

“But we know the margins are so tight at the very top now. There probably is an element of luck involved but sometimes you have to make your own luck as well. We seen in the Dublin game, which would have shocked a lot of people, what we can produce when we are completely on it. But it didn’t shock us on that day”.

Crestfallen and not wanting to stew on all those ‘what ifs’, Boyle Carr was approached by Sligo Rovers to come on board for their League of Ireland Woman’s National League campaign. With fellow Donegal girls Gemma McGuinness, Paula McGroary and Emma Doherty also at the Showgrounds it was an offer that caught her attention.  

Amy Boyle Carr in action for Sligo Rovers last term. 

She’d previously decided to ditch the soccer commitments and throw her absolute lot in with Gaelic football. But her reasons to renege on that call were wrapped in logic. 

“I’m one of those that just likes to keep busy. I’ve taken time off in the past, an off season so to speak, and I just found it really difficult to get back up to speed. So the chance to go up to Sligo, it made sense for me. There wasn’t any kind of overlap at that stage. 

“It turned out to be really enjoyable and fun. And to be honest it probably was a distraction from the way things ended up last season with Donegal. The previous year, I just remember my fitness wasn’t what it should have been coming back into the county set-up. So the time with Rovers also kept me up to that same standard. 

“So coming into pre-season this time around, with Donegal, it wasn’t such a shock to the system. Because we were so close last year there was that kind of self inspection or closer look at yourself at the end of it. How can I get to the next level? 

“And the obvious one for me was to come back into things this season at a much better level in terms of fitness. We finished up at the end of October with Rovers so it was just a matter of coming straight back in with Donegal then”.  

Boyle Carr admits she owes a debt of gratitude to boss Curran for sticking with her in the past. A senior International with the Republic of Ireland at one time, the weight of all of that simply became too much. But how she splices both soccer and GAA now is very much on her terms.  

“I’m coming into my sixth season with the Donegal seniors. To be honest, I didn’t really feel like I’d made the kinda impact I wanted in years gone by. But Maxi showed a lot of belief in me. Last year I felt I got to the level I knew was there. 

“I remember being asked about moving to wing half back. I saw myself as a wing half forward or someone that played in that end of the pitch. To be honest, I  wasn’t too excited about it when Maxi first mentioned it!  

“But to be fair, it’s suited me so much more. You’re constantly running with the play. That link up it’s, not easier to make, but the opportunity is there more. But it’s a new season now and the aim has to be to keep progressing and making those small wee improvements. I’m excited to get started”. 

Donegal officially get their season underway when they take on Galway in Tuam Stadium this Saturday in the first round of the National League Division 1 (throw-in 2pm).