He played county football from 1985 to 1998, mostly at forward and was a free kick specialist.
He debuted for Donegal at 18 in 1985,[3] fell out with manager Tom Conaghan in the 1980s,[4] missing the 1989 Ulster SFC final,[5]Brian McEniff restored him to the team in time for the 1990 Ulster SFC.[4]
He played his last competitive game for Donegal in the 1998 Ulster SFC final against Derry.[3] Earlier the same year, he contracted a virus that caused severe weight loss.[3] He could not start the 1st round but played the semi-final against Cavan.[3]
In May 2012, the Irish Independent named him as part of Donegal's "greatest team" of the past 50 years.[6]
^Boyle, Donnchadh (2 October 2010). "Boyle looks to defy logic and inspire injury-hit Killybegs to shock title success". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2 October 2010. The 44-year-old started training for a marathon, but the hard road was unforgiving and reignited a few old injuries. The sod of the club's field was more forgiving [...] Incredibly, he has featured off the bench in recent matches and he's likely to do the same tomorrow.