Tyler Toland says a senior women's team for Donegal would be 'incredible'

Tyler Toland says it would be 'incredible' to have a senior League of Ireland women's team based in Donegal.

While Finn Harps are operating in the Under-17 and Under-19 grades of the Women's League of Ireland, the club has designs on making the jump to senior level.

Toland, who returned to the Republic of Ireland senior squad last autumn and has had an excellent season at Blackburn Rovers, hopes to see senior action in Donegal soon.

“To get a team in Doengal where girls would have the opportunity to play at a really high level of football and live at home with their families, that would be incredible,” Toland told Donegal Live.

“To have facilities and coaches there to support them would be massive.”

Toland had to go to Sion Swifts in the Women's Premiership in Northern Ireland to get her first taste of senior action while her sister Cate is among a large crew from Donegal now playing at Derry City.

Sion, too, have their share of Donegal players with Sligo Rovers also heavily populated.

Toland said: “At the minute, girls have to travel to Derry or Sligo or as far as Dublin to play at the top level in the country.

“The dream would be to have a team from Donegal competing against the best in the country. It would really bring the county on.”

Last year, Harps dipped their toes into the League of Ireland underage leagues with women's teams at Under-17 and Under-19s. A partnership was announced with the Donegal Women's League (who had previously entered teams in the Women's LOI) and the Inishowen Women's League.

Harps Chairman Ian Harkin said the club “didn't want to step on their toes because they were already there” and says the club is moving towards a senior women's team.

Mark Scanlon, the League of Ireland Director is “pushing us hard to get a team for 2025”, Harkin said.

“The next step is to have a senior team,” Harkin said. “It will probably be 2026 when that can happen. With the age profile of the girls it should go ahead in 2026.”

Women's football in Donegal suffered a blow this season with Drumbar United's withdrawal leaving the Donegal Women's League with just three teams – Bonagee United, Letterkenny Rovers and Raphoe Town.

Last season, Bonagee defied the odds to reach the FAI Women's Amateur Cup final, but exited this year's competition at the second hurdle against Salthill. Bonagee did play in the FAI Women's Senior Cup in 2022 and 2023, but suffered heavy losses against Cork City and Sligo Rovers.

Toland played some underage football for Raphoe Town in the Donegal Women's League. She also lined out for boys teams at her native Kildrum Tigers and with Maiden City before signing with Sion.

On the week of her 16^th birthday, Toland was named Player of the Week at the Galway Cup with Kildrum winning the Premier Section and she also played a key role for Maiden City's boys teams in the National League.

The 22-year-old St Johnston woman said: “I picked up football from playing in the back garden ad played mainly with boys growing up.

“If you had asked me at 16 if I wanted to leave home and go away to play football, probably no, but that was the road I chose to go down.”

Toland had just turned 18 when she signed with Manchester City. She has also had spells at Celtic, Glasgow City and Levante before moving to Blackburn last summer.