'Australian adventure is too good an opportunity to turn down' - Amy Boyle Carr

Donegal will be hoping to make it two wins from two this weekend when they welcome Kildare to Letterkenny for the second round of their LGFA 2024 Division 2 campaign.

John McNulty’s side started their season on a high with a four-point victory over Laois last weekend, while Kildare also opened their year on a positive note with a home win over Monaghan.

Since signing for AFLW side Adelaide Crows just before Christmas, a large spotlight has been shining on Donegal’s multi-talented ace Amy Boyle Carr.

So much so that the Glenties girl could be forgiven if she faltered to a lapse of concentration for a brief second due to the number of distractions thrown her way.

However, still only 23, it’s fair to say that Boyle Carr is never fazed or pressured from an overload of sport.

In fact, she could be considered the sensei at balancing multiple tasks, between GAA, football, and now AFLW.

“At the moment I’m fully focused towards committing myself to Donegal,” Boyle Carr told the Democrat.

“People like to talk about me heading off to Australia, they are really interested. But for now, I’m just focused on this team, this league campaign, and trying to get back to Division 1.”

At just 17 she was selected to play for Ireland against the Netherlands during a 2018 World Cup qualifier. And having spent the last number of seasons as a mainstay player under Maxi Curran with Donegal, she has now signed a one-year rookie deal to play in the 2024 AFLW season.

Boyle Carr is now the third Donegal player on the books of an AFLW club alongside Niamh McLaughlin (Gold Coast Suns) and Tanya Kennedy (Sydney).

“To go to Australia and try my hand at AFLW, it’s something I’m looking forward to. I don’t know how I’ll get on with it. It’s just going to be a really different challenge in terms of learning the rules and things like that.

“It works out well for the ladies over there because we have the opportunity to play both GAA and AFL at different times of the year, whereas I know the men have to just pick one or the other. So, it’s a bit of a balancing act, but it works out well.”

To fly 10,000 miles across the other side of the world is not a decision to take lightly, but one the former Sligo Rovers ace knew she had to take.

“To go to Australia and play professional sport, it was such a big opportunity, I think I would be mad if I turned it down,” said Boyle Carr.

“Also, the season is so short over there that if I do go out and I don’t like it, I’ll be home after three months, but it’s something I just couldn't turn down. It was a no brainer.

“Yeah, I’ve been fully focused on Gaelic for the last few years where we’ve had incredible success with Donegal. I went down to Sligo Rovers at the end of last season but that was merely just to keep my fitness up after the GAA season ended”.

In terms of juggling both GAA and Aussie Rules, she explained: “I think it’s a player-by-player case and what’s best for that person.

“You would hope that a lot of female players who can go and play in Australia would be able to balance it up by playing GAA in the off-season back home.

“Perhaps people might say it’s not ideal that people are picking up and leaving Ireland to play a different sport, but if there’s a ‘split-season’ between the two, like it is at the minute, I can’t see the LGFA suffering.”

For now, all the focus turns to this Sunday at noon for Boyle Carr and her Donegal teammates, when the Lilywhites descend on O’Donnell Park.

The Naomh Conaill clubwoman acknowledges the squad is going through a period of transition but states that the young talent coming through have All-Ireland medals in their back pocket and will only bring a winning mentality to McNulty’s side.

“We knew that a lot of members from the Donegal squad would eventually walk away at some point, for different reasons, but we still have a great bunch of senior players who have been on the scene for a long time,” said Boyle Carr.

“We hope those players can show that experience which will guide and help the younger players. It’s all about trying to filter in those young players and blend it with the experience we have.

“A lot of the new players coming into the squad have played in an All-Ireland final last year for the minors, so they know what it’s like to be successful and have a winning mentality.

“With our side going through a bit of a transition, it might be a bit more difficult this year compared to the last few years. Our aim at the minute is all about promotion, so, we’ll see where we are in a few weeks.”