For young goalkeeper Lucy Doyle-Farrington, the past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind, twelve days in Sweden representing her country with the Republic of Ireland women's national under-17 football team, gaining experience that will shape the next stage of her football journey.
The call-up was the latest step in a process that began months earlier. Lucy first came into the international setup through a series of training camps before progressing to friendly matches and eventually competitive qualifiers. Each stage brought new challenges, but also the chance to prove herself among the country’s most promising young players.
“It started off with a couple of training camps,” she explained. “Then it went into further friendlies and the first qualifier. After that we had another camp before the next qualifier where they announced the squad.”
That squad travelled to Sweden for a demanding round of fixtures. For the young goalkeeper , it also meant the longest spell she had spent away from home with the international team.
Despite the excitement, nerves were inevitable.
“There were definitely a few nerves,” she admitted. “But sometimes you just have to use that to your advantage. I was buzzing to go into the camp. A lot of the same girls had been there from the start so we all kind of bounced off each other.”
That familiarity has helped create a strong atmosphere within the group. While competition for places is fierce — no one’s position is ever guaranteed.She said the squad environment is one where every player supports the other.
“Any player that comes in is welcomed,” she said. “It’s up to you to stay there, but the girls are all so lovely. If you ever need anything you’re never by yourself.”
On the pitch, the tournament proved challenging. Ireland were unlucky not to take a win from the three matches, but the experience of competing at that level was invaluable for the squad’s development.
“There were results we would have liked,” Doyle-Farrington said, “but we went over and gave it a right go. When you look back on it, it’s the experience you take from it.”
One of the standout moments for the Wicklow goalkeeper came in the second match, where she was named Player of the Match after an impressive performance between the posts. Even so, her reaction reflected the team-first mentality she values.
“I didn’t think I’d be in the running,” she said. “It always comes back to the girls. You’re never going to win those awards without everyone around you supporting you.”
While she was delighted with the recognition, the result still mattered most.
“I was really happy, but at the same time I was gutted we didn’t get the result we wanted,” she said. “But there were so many learning curves from it.”
Among those lessons was the importance of enjoying the experience while carrying the responsibility of representing Ireland. She went on to explain how this particular camp helped her grow more comfortable within the group and embrace the moment.
“I kind of let myself be a part of it more — getting involved and everything,” she explained. “That’s something I’ll definitely carry on.”
Looking ahead, the focus is firmly on the future. With potentially two more years at under-17 level, Doyle-Farrington and her teammates are already targeting progress in the next round of qualifiers.
“We’re hoping to get out of Group B next year and get back into League A,” she said. “Everything we learned from this camp is something we can use the next time around.”
For Doyle-Farrington, the journey is still only beginning — but the pride of wearing the green jersey is already clear.
“Whether it goes your way or not,” she said, “you have to put pride into everything you do when you wear that jersey.”
The Arklow native is proudly sponsored by Bolands Arklow and J4K Midlands.
