Brian Barry
GAA Editor @BrianGBarry
Teddy Doyle: The Kerry native in the Tipperary football panel answering the Premier call
Tipperary footballer Teddy Doyle discusses his decision to depart his home club Templenoe in Kerry and throw his lot in with Tipperary, and outlines why the Premier League are going all-out for the Tailteann Cup
Last Updated: 25/05/22 8:53am
Growing up in Templenoe in Kerry, playing inter-county football with Tipperary was never on the agenda for Teddy Doyle.
But after taking up residence in the Premier County through marriage and his work as a Garda, Doyle decided to throw his lot in with David Power's charges.
"Yeah first year with Tipp. I left my club in Kerry, I've been with Templenoe with Kerry all my life but I got married to a Tipp lady in January," he explained.
"I've been living in Tipp for the last few years and travelling up and down for the last six or seven years. So I just decided time is pushing on, it isn't on my side. David Power gave me the chance to come in with Tipp so I said I'd take it and see where it goes.
"It is and it isn't [strange to represent Tipperary]. I never played for Kerry so I don't have that to look back on. It was good excitement to put on an intercounty jersey and get to play inter-county football and put yourself at the highest standard you can get to. It was strange alright but I'm a Tipp man now. I'm living in Tipp and I'll embrace the Tipp colours.
"I've to thank a Clare man for getting me the gig with Tipp. Joe Hayes was a selector with Tipp. I was playing with the Sigerson team in the Garda College when Joe Hayes was involved with them.
"He put my name forward to David Power and the management team there. That's where it came from. I got in training with them and that's how it got started, it was while Joe was with Tipperary last year. Thankfully David kept me on this year and it's good so far."
And the self-confessed 'blow-in' was welcomed with open arms.
"I suppose a bit of a blow-in but really I'm there to try and push myself as far as I can go," he continued.
"They could see that once I came in. I had a good attitude and went about my business in the right way. They were very welcoming in that way. There's a great squad and management team there so it was easy enough to transition into the dressing room. As intimidating and all as it can be, I still found it quite easy. They made it easy for me."
However, it was not a decision without challenges. And leaving his native club was not easy.
"It's probably the hardest thing I've done. Leaving your club is obviously something no fella ever wants to do but such is life," he said.
"I wasn't doing myself justice I don't think, playing with my club the way I was. The commute was too much. I wasn't making training as often as I could have and I just couldn't keep it up. It was difficult leaving but I've a new club in Ballina in Tipperary.
"In fairness before I even started playing with them, they were very welcoming, inviting me to training sessions and anything else that was going on in the club. I'm lucky to have found a new club in Ballina."
Doyle is not the only Templenoe man to be pulling on a different county's jersey outside the Kingdom.
Pat Spillane has joined up with Sligo this year, and the duo met on the field during the National League.
"I spoke to Pat earlier in the year. We crossed paths in the league, we played them in Thurles," Doyle said.
"I spoke to him after the game. It's all about playing football at the highest standard you can play at. Pat had the opportunity to play with Sligo. It's definitely something we can relate to and talk about. It's good to see guys doing something like that, you always want to push yourself as far as you can go.
"In fairness to Pat he's doing that with Sligo. He did well over in New York and hopefully I can continue to do the same with Tipp."
For now, he is putting his shoulder to the wheel as Tipp chase silverware in the Tailteann Cup, after their Munster semi-final defeat at the hands of Limerick.
"Losing to Limerick wasn't in the plan but it's good to have something to bounce back on now in the Tailteann Cup. We've a couple of weeks to regroup and see where we're at. It's more championship football in the summer," he said.
"It's an open competition. Everybody would give themselves a fair chance of going a long way in the competition and we're no different.
"We all have the same mindset that it's a good competition, a good opportunity to play championship football in the summer. There is that incentive there that everybody wants to play in Croke Park. The semi-finals and final are fixed for there and hopefully we can get a good performance in the first round and see where we go after that."
