Doyle goes GAA-GAA for Gaelic

Doyle, who made his senior Irish debut as a sub in the summer friendly victory over Holland in Amsterdam, attended the launch of the East Midlands Schools Gaelic Athletics Association at St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Primary School earlier this week.

The 23-year-old played Gaelic football at schools level in Dublin before plumping for soccer and setting off for Celtic in 1998.

Five years at Parkhead failed to produce a breakthrough, however, and he quit the club to join Coventry in the summer of 2003.

He quickly established himself in the first XI at Highfield Road and has been an ever-present in Peter Reid’s side to date this season.

As a well-known figure in the Coventry area, Doyle is the perfect candidate to front the Gaelic sports initiative.

The Primary School scheme runs for six weeks in January and February and is designed as a fun introduction to Gaelic football to be delivered to over 500 boys and girls in 13 schools in Coventry, Leicester and Rugby.

Specialist coaches will deliver Gaelic football lessons during PE and the programme will culminate in a Gaelic Football Championship festival in March.