There’s an old saying that when it rains, it pours, and that couldn’t ring truer for the Joyce family last week.

In the early hours of the morning in Kilkenny last Thursday, one of their very own in hurling convert Darragh Joyce was being told by Alan Richardson that he’d be making his AFL debut for St Kilda on the other side of the world.

A few hours later, Kathleen Joyce awoke to a phone call from her son abroad, who told her of his imminent debut and asked if she’d like to fly out for the game.

WATCH: Darragh's debut

Seems like a straightforward decision, but that same Thursday, Joyce’s older brother Kieran, himself a four-time All-Ireland winning hurler, was driving his overdue wife to hospital for the birth of their first child.

“My daughter-in-law was in hospital having our first grandchild,” mum Kathleen said.

“So, my husband decided he’d stay with my son Kieran, and I decided to come out and support my baby Darragh.”

It was during Kathleen’s 22-hour journey from Kilkenny to Melbourne, somewhere between Abu Dhabi and Australia, that little Farrow Joyce was born, the first Joyce grandchild and Darragh’s niece.

Joyce was incredulous at just how eventful his debut weekend had turned out to be.

“The minute Mam hopped on the plane, the baby arrived, so yeah it’s just been a crazy 48 hours!”

Joyce became just the third Irishman to represent the Saints at the highest level, an incredible feat given 2018 marks the club’s 145-year anniversary.

WATCH: Saints belt it out

The magnitude of the achievement was summed up perfectly by injured star Dylan Roberton, who presented Joyce with his first jumper.

“You’re representing your family today, your country, but for the first time you get to represent the Saints,” Roberton said.

“Hopefully you get to represent us for a long time, so congratulations.”

Kathleen was positively brimming with pride in the rooms after the Saints’ underdog victory, crediting her son’s persistence to earn a senior berth.

“Darragh has such determination,” she said.

“When he got the call-out to come to Australia with St Kilda, he put his head down and he’d just go 100% to make the first team, and he has done, and he’s done everyone proud back home.”

Joyce will be hoping to build on his debut, which saw him hold his own against experienced heavyweights Jesse Hogan and Tom McDonald.