The football player who put Ireland through to the Women’s World Cup for the first time has dedicated the achievement to the victims of the Creeslough explosion.
Amber Barrett scored the winning goal four minutes after coming off the bench to give the Republic of Ireland a 1-0 victory over Scotland at Hampden Park.
Ms Barrett, whose grandparents were from Creeslough, kissed her black armband after scoring the crucial goal, in a touching tribute to the victims of the tragedy.
I know people that died in the tragedy, I know people who were affected by the tragedy. I know people who were first on the scene at the tragedy— Amber Barrett
Speaking to RTE Sport after being awarded player of the match, she said: “I know Creeslough like the back of my hand.
“Both my grandparents were Creeslough born and bred and I spent my whole upbringing there; the summers and Christmases and every year, I go back from football, I go my uncle who’s still living down in Creeslough.
“I know people that died in the tragedy, I know people who were affected by the tragedy. I know people who were first on the scene at the tragedy.”
Ms Barrett, from Milford in Co Donegal, added: “I’ve not been able to put it into words about it, there’s been a sombreness about me the last few days.
“This is the best day of my life in terms of what we’ve done for football, but when you put it into perspective, we don’t scratch the surface of what happened over there on Friday.
“This result, this game, that goal, this award – I’m dedicating it for those 10 beautiful souls who unfortunately perished on Friday, for all their families.
“Because I know they touched their lives. They certainly touched ours.
“This is for Creeslough. This is for Donegal.”
Speaking on RTE Morning Ireland on Wednesday, Ireland Women’s manager Vera Pauw said it was an “emotional” and “special” moment that the Donegal woman was the one to score the winning goal.
“So emotional. It’s as if something brought it to us, I cannot have other words to it. It’s so special.
“Amber wasn’t really the first person to put on at that moment, and we were thinking what are our options because, with all the injuries, we did not have much options to change things.”
She said there was a feeling that Barrett could get behind the Scottish defence.
“She said, ‘Vera, if you put me on, I will put that ball in, I will score’,” Pauw said.
After the match, the Dutch manager said Barrett said to her: “I told you that I would do it.”
“I think that this special thing over her – that she wanted to do it for the community in Donegal – that that has given her this extra… I have no words for it.
“It’s just something that I will always remember.”
