Boyle’s long trips up north explained

HOW DOES a Wexford town lad with an admittedly very Donegal-sounding name end up playing soccer with Finn Harps in faraway Ballybofey? Some clarity and explanation was provided on that matter on a visit to the north-western town last Friday when a match programme from the home side’s recent derby clash with Sligo Rovers was obtained and perused.

Ethan Boyle, who joined the club from Waterford United, was interviewed and it transpired that he became Harps’ 500th player to represent them in the League of Ireland when he lined out against Dundalk at Oriel Park in March.

Still only 19-years-old, Boyle was snapped up by manager Ollie Horgan over the winter, and it turns out that there’s a close connection between the duo.

When he was a student at Wexford Vocational School, Boyle was capped by Horgan with the Republic of Ireland Schoolboys team in 2015.

And as Boyle told interviewer Chris McNulty: ‘I know all about Ollie and know how good a manager he is. I just love playing football so I’ll go wherever it takes me.

‘The chance of being in the Premier Divison was the big one. I wanted to test myself at the highest level,’ he explained.

Horgan has described Boyle - also capped by Paul Doolin at Under-19 level last year - as ‘a good kid who is in great shape and has a great attitude’.

A former North End United team-mate of Youths duo Paul Murphy and Shane Dempsey, Boyle also had a trial with Shamrock Rovers at the end of last year.

He makes the commute - an almost nine-hour round trip from Wexford town - for training once a week, coming to Ballybofey with Dublin-based Adam Hanlon and Dave Scully.

Now that level of dedication to the cause must be admired!