By Daire Walsh

Sara Doyle created a slice of history at Heartland Credit Union Páirc Seán MacDiarmada on March 8 when Carlow recorded a vital victory against Leitrim in Division 4 of the Lidl National Football League.

Six points behind (0-7 to 0-1) at the midway stage in the contest, the Barrowsiders subsequently turned things around on the resumption and eventually emerged with a 2-7 to 0-11 triumph at the Carrick-on-Shannon venue. Goals from Aibha Kiernan and Clíodhna Ní Shé proved pivotal in ensuring the visitors came out on top in the end, but a second half two-pointer courtesy of the aforementioned Doyle also played a crucial role in their success.

As well as helping to ensure they got a maximum return from this fixture, this effort by Doyle was also the first orange flag score registered by Carlow since the LGFA introduced a number of playing rule enhancements for this year’s NFL and the recently-completed Higher Education colleges competitions. She is hopeful it won’t be the only time the Leinster county kicks a two-pointer in the current season, particularly if it can lead to them coming out on the right side of the result.

“It’s kind of something I wasn’t really thinking about at all in my head either. I didn’t even know where I was kicking the ball from. Then I was delighted to see the orange flag go up. It was the first time I’d seen that. Hopefully more to come,” Doyle said.

“In the first half Leitrim were playing with a strong wind. We gave them the ball and there was very efficient shooting. Whereas we probably weren’t as efficient in the first half and we knew that going in at half-time. Then in the second half we kind of went out and played our own game with the wind.

“I thought we played very well in the second half and we got through Leitrim well in the second half. It was a tough game and it did go down to the end. We’re actually delighted with that win, especially being six points down at half-time. We kind of dug it out really well.”

Relegated from Division 3 of the Lidl NFL in 2025, Carlow have looked like a team on a mission this spring with seven wins from seven making them the form side in the fourth-tier at the moment.

Doyle has contributed 2-27 from seven starts at full-forward in the present campaign and she is thrilled with how 2026 has progressed thus far for Carlow.

“Absolutely delighted. We were discussing it a few weeks ago, how we couldn’t remember a time when Carlow ladies had five wins out of five. Never mind seven out of seven. I don’t think we ever won as many games in-a-row as we have this year. Which is definitely a huge positive and a little bit of history I suppose for us is made.”

Thanks to their win over Leitrim last Sunday week, Carlow have finished at the summit of the Lidl NFL Division 4 regular season table – three points clear of the O’Rourke County. Yet whereas this would guarantee teams a league final place in the top three divisions (as well as promotion in Divisions 2 and 3), the structure is slightly different in the fourth-tier.

With league semi-finals factored into the equation, Carlow are now set to face either Offaly or Longford – who meet tomorrow at St Rynagh’s – in the penultimate phase of NFL Division 4. While Carlow have already beaten both of their Leinster rivals in this year’s league, Doyle knows from experience that the side who secures top spot in Division 4 doesn’t always push on to be crowned champions.

Back in 2024, the Barrowsiders finished fourth in the Division 4 table and found themselves up against a Fermanagh side in the last-four that had enjoyed an unbeaten march to top spot. Yet Carlow pulled off a narrow triumph over the Erne women at Dowdallshill in Dundalk and went on from there to seal the Division 4 title with a final victory at the expense of Limerick in Grant Heating St Brendan’s Park, Birr.

“We’ve beaten both Offaly and Longford, but three years ago we were into the semi-final in fourth playing Fermanagh. We beat Fermanagh that day and we’re definitely under no illusions that our semi-final is going to be a walk in the park. No matter who we play, it’s going to be a tough game,” Doyle acknowledged.

“The semi-final is nearly a final in Division Four because once you win that, you’re promoted and it takes the pressure off for the final. It’s all about really getting promotion and we do want to win a final, but we can’t look past the semi-final, which in a sense is nearly a final as well.”

Having first joined the panel in 2019 while still a secondary school student, Doyle is now one of the more experienced players in the Carlow set-up despite still being relatively young.

She is also something of a refreshed figure in 2026, after opting to take a break from inter-county football last year. This was due to the fact she had made plans to go travelling in the summer and didn’t want to be involved in the squad for just part of the season.

However, the former UCD student (who is now working up in Dublin for KPMG in their risk consulting department) feels a year away from the inter-county scene will work to her benefit in the long-term. Interestingly, Ed Burke is also now back as Carlow manager for a second spell after being in charge of his native Tipperary for 2025.

“Coming back this year, I was more eager to get going and I was excited to get back in with Carlow and really push on. Whereas other years I think I’d go off with the club or the college and you’re a bit like ‘oh, back to slogging it again’,” Doyle added.

“Back in November, December to come back, you kind of dread about slogging it. This year, I was excited to get back in, see the girls. It just helps and I felt nearly rejuvenated going back in after not being there for the year.”

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