Ryan Tubridy says 'what a pleasure' to have Amber Barrett on the Late Late Show

The night she scored the most important goal that the Irish women’s team has ever scored, Amber Barrett won the hearts of the nation.

The Milford native grabbed the winning goal at Hampden Park against Scotland last October in the Fifa Women's World Cup play-off to send the Republic of Ireland to the World Cup finals - which take place in Australia and New Zealand this summer - for the first time ever.

The goal came just four days after a Creeslough tragedy, where 10 people lost their lives in an explosion at the local service station. Once the ball hit the net in Glasgow that night, Amber reached for the black armband she and her teammates were wearing to remember those at home. Tonight, she was the guest of Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show on RTÉ television and you could hear a pin drop when she spoke of her emotions on Glasgow's southside.

“I don’t know what was going through my mind at that moment, with the chaos behind me with everyone celebrating,” she said of her postmatch interview, where she dedicated the goal ‘to those 10 beautiful souls who perished on Friday’.

“It wasn’t till we went down to the bottom corner of Hampden and someone handed me a Donegal flag that my mind went back. What was more important? That was it.”

"It was just a big toe and God bless yourself after that!" @amberbarrett09 on THAT finish!@FAIreland #LateLate pic.twitter.com/uRHK3bjkOg

— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) March 3, 2023

Amber's mother Jacqui is from Doe Point, while her father Shaun Paul is a former Donegal minor and U-20 GAA manager, and brother Luke manages the county U-17s and Kane, another brother, plays for Milford and has represented Donegal at various levels up to senior this year.

She plays for Frauen-Bundesliga Club Turbine Potsdam in Germany and said that in the week leading up the the fixture against Scotland, she had told Irish team manager Vera Pauw that she felt she might be able to contribute something big. It was an emotional week and on the Tuesday night, Amber raced onto a pass from Denise O’Sullivan to score the only goal on 72 minutes.

“I lobby every camp but this was the first camp anyone actually listened to me, so I’m very grateful,” Amber said of getting the chance as a second half substitute. “I had a small injury and I didn’t know if I was going to be fit but Vera and I had a very good conversation and she was very understanding with me. I told her I was always good for a go and she understood that.

“After the event [in Creeslough] on the Friday, it was on the Saturday people realised what had happened. When you know people from a small village, then you understand the depth of the damage that was done. Vera was brilliant and she checked in with all the Donegal girls. She asked if we needed time out and to take what time we needed.

“There was something in the air. The goal was the most chaotic art of it. Everyone said afterwards ‘your first touch’ and my first touch is usually terrible! When I was running through I knew I could take it in another few yards. There was no process to it, it was just a big toe and God bless yourself after that.

“I love the feeling of scoring goals and there’s a very brief second before the ball goes into the net. There was a silence that came and it was the connection to the armband. It wasn’t going to be a crazy celebration. I can’t not mention Katie McCabe and she realises and she pointed to the armband. She has no connection with Donegal but she knew.

“Outside of my home Milford, Creeslough is my second home. I spent most of my childhood there. My granny and grandad were there and loved going down to see them. I spent a lot of my time there with my brothers.

“When St Michael’s started a girls team I went down as Milford didn’t have a team. It was one of the proudest moments my grandad had. If they were still alive that would’ve been the filling station they went to, to collect the pension or the paper. That Friday, I was at a home camp and mum and dad don’t always get the opportunity to come with work but they were there. My younger brother [Kane] put a message in the group to say something had happened and we heard it was serious. I was glad I was with them.”

Amber’s parents were in the audience at Montrose, where Jacqui was wearing the famous orange Ireland jersey from the night of that famous goal and spoke of Creeslough five months on.

“It’s just the jersey she wore that night in Scotland and it takes pride of place,” she said. “My brother still lives in Creeslough. I was down seeing a friend and again, the whole atmosphere and they’re all taking it day by day.”

Shaun Paul said that his children have always filled the family with pride and spoke of the night they watched on against Scotland.

“It was very emotional and we were extremely proud,” he said. “We’ve always made us proud, just like her two brothers. She’s a very humble young lady. It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.

“Amber was a brilliant Gaelic footballer but she had to make a choice and she went with soccer. We always played games in the back garden but never finished. It always ended in war."

Twitter reaction: 'I’m genuinely not well, crying watching Amber’s interview'

Amber Barrett gave a fantastic interview to Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show on Friday night and it was warmly received on social media channel Twitter

Amber had hampers from Aya, a vitamins and supplement brand, who she is in partnership with and as the Late Late Show do, “there was one for everyone in the audience.”

“I really enjoyed talking to you,” presenter Ryan Tubridy finished by saying to Amber. “What a pleasure to see a star of the present and a star of the future, Amber Barrett."