Five Things to Know: Mark Doyle

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Rhode Island FC

Five Things to Know: Mark Doyle

November 8, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


The sport of soccer can bring people from all walks of life from across the globe together to play the beautiful game. At Rhode Island FC, that global connection spans from the likes of Spain (Koke Vegas), Brazil (Gabriel Alves), Cameroon (Albert Dikwa "Chico"), Rwanda (Jojea Kwizera), Australia (Jackson Lee), Germany (Morris Duggan), and Cuba (Frank Nodarse). Also included in that list of talented players is Mark Doyle, hailing from across the Atlantic in the Republic of Ireland.

Doyle joined Rhode Island FC after playing for League of Ireland Premier Division side St. Patrick's Athletic F.C. from 2022-2023. Doyle spent a total of eight years in the Irish top flight, spending his first six years with Drogheda United F.C.

Doyle has always been at the top of the soccer world in his homeland, and his latest move to the Ocean State has brought new opportunities on and off the field. In his first USL Championship season, the Irish native is proud to use what he learned from the Emerald Isle to provide his best efforts for the Ocean State club.

Here are five things to know about the forward:

A New Yet Familiar Home

Doyle grew up in the small coastal town of Skerries, which is about a 40-minute drive outside of Dublin. Now living in Providence, it's the first time he's lived in the United States. While Doyle hasn't experienced a massive culture shock, there are some minor attributes of his new home that differ from his hometown overseas. He has had to get used to two-to-three hour drives being more commonplace and taking a flight to the next match instead of a bus like he did in Ireland.

Despite some differences in the way life generally goes between the U.S. and Ireland, Doyle is happy to find some similarities in his new home in New England. Much of New England, and especially the metropolis of Boston, have close Irish ties with a large Irish migrant population. Doyle has made the trip to Boston and was happy to encounter the Irish community in the city. Going to a new place that still feels familiar makes this new life feel a bit more at home. Hearing accents that remind him of home and hearing from locals who know someone, who knows someone he knows, makes all the difference.

Just Like the Old Days

While growing up in Skerries, Doyle uncovered his love for soccer. He and his older brother are only separated by 18 months and they have shared many of the same close friends. The Doyles and their friends would play soccer together everyday and participated with local youth clubs. As they all grew up, Doyle eventually made it to the League of Ireland Premier Division while his friends continued to play for their local squads. While living in Ireland, Doyle enjoyed being able to attend and support his friends during their matches and they would always come to his matches to cheer him on.

When Doyle moved to the U.S. to play for Rhode Island FC, that meant his friends could no longer attend his matches in-person or vice versa. And while it was unfortunate for the supportive tradition to come to a stop, Doyle was delighted when his friends made the trip west to see the Ocean State club take on Louisville City FC at home and spend time with him just like his days in Ireland.

A Winning Legacy

The sport of soccer in Ireland, like in the rest of the world, is incredibly significant towards the culture and lives of its citizens. However, there is one sport in particular that may be even more culturally impactful on the lives of the Irish, and that sport is Gaelic football. The sport itself shares similarities with that of both soccer and rugby as well as its own independent traits. Many play the sport at one point or another, and that includes Doyle. As much of a tradition it is to play Gaelic football, it was not Doyle's cup of tea.

While Doyle may have not gone down the Gaelic football path, his grandfather Mick Doyle played in the Gaelic Athletic Association. Mick played the amateur sport for many years and created a winning legacy for the Doyle family. Doyle's grandad would play in front of 80,000 fans at times during crucial games and even went on to win the Leinster Championship. Mick's winning mentality and dedication to the sport rubbed off on Doyle, influencing his desire to hone his craft and be the best professional athlete he could be.

Mr. Clutch

At just 25-years-old, Doyle has already learned what it takes to thrive under pressure and win at the highest level. During the 2023 FAI (Football Association of Ireland) Cup Final, Doyle and St. Patrick's Athletic played in front of a record crowd of 43,881 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Featuring teams from the League of Ireland Premier Division and First Division, as well as non-league teams, the competition is the most significant and prestigious championship won at the end of the season. After going down 1-0 early, Doyle came up huge for the Red Army in the 23rd minute, using his head to score the equalizer. St. Patrick's Athletic would go on to win the match 3-1 and qualify for the second qualifying round of the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League.

Sounds of Home

Doyle has quite a specific taste in music that is commonplace in Ireland. He is an avid listener of Wolfe Tones, an Irish rebel music band. As much as Doyle enjoys music from the likes of the Wolfe Tones, he is unfortunately the only member of the locker room to be a fan of the Irish rebel music genre. Unsurprisingly not the locker room DJ, Doyle does still enjoy team DJ Noah Fuson's pregame mix of rap and hip hop.

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