MUIREANN DEVANEY has a big eight days ahead of her.
She and Sligo Rovers will be under the TV spotlight against Waterford later today.
And then she will switch her focus to promotion with Leitrim’s Gaelic football team next weekend.
Sligo Rovers host their first TV game in the Women’s Premier Division this evening as they welcome the Blues to the Showgrounds.
And the club will let their fans in for free as they look to attract a big attendance.
Devaney told SunSport: “Sligo Rovers are always very good for getting big crowds in and it has been successful.
“But it’s just about leaving no stone unturned when we’re on TG4 this weekend. Hopefully there is a big crowd.
“It’s our fourth year in the league and we’ve never been on TG4. I think the girls deserve it now.”
But playing under the glare of the TV camera is almost second nature for Devaney, 21, given her other big days.
She combines playing for Rovers with LGFA — and the Glencar star is a key player in the Leitrim side.
Devaney continued: “We won the intermediate All-Ireland in Croke Park last year.
“We’re going up to the senior Championship but are still in Division 4.
“It’s one of those things that we just can’t get ourselves out of but we’ve got a league semi-final against Antrim.
“The two finalists will both get promoted.”
Doubling up could be tough but Devaney praised Sligo Rovers gaffer Steve Feeney and Leitrim chief Johnny Geraghty for making it easy.
She said: “They manage my load. They encourage me to do both as they know I enjoy playing both of them.”
But next month she will be glad to cut down on her travel when she finishes the third year of her degree in Agricultural Science at the University of Galway.
It was the travel that partly led her to swap Athlone Town for Sligo Rovers last year having found it tough to be always in the car.
She explained: “I played for Sligo at Under-17 level and they didn’t have a senior team so I moved to Athlone.
“It meant a lot of travelling. It was an hour from Galway and then two hours from Glencar but we did well.
“I won an FAI Cup and President’s Cup but I always thought that I’d come back to Sligo.”
LIFE BALANCE
She opted to do it last year and, while there is still a two-hour trek to training at present, college finishes up next month.
Midfielder Devaney continued: “It will be easier then.
“I like playing for Sligo and there will be less travel. You can have more of a life.”
And she hopes that the Bit O’Red can now start to rocket up the table.
They kicked off the season with a draw at home to Bohemians before a 4-0 loss to Cork City last week.
She said “We’ve started relatively well. It was a good draw with Bohs.
“I didn’t think the 4-0 score reflected the Cork game.
“But we’re at home now and it’s exciting to be on TG4 to show what we can do.”
