McShea's Say: Donegal will face a highly motivated Armagh in the Ulster final

A season that began with high hopes and great expectations continued on Sunday when Donegal qualified for an Ulster final date with Armagh after beating Down in Clones.

Donegal, under Jim McGuinness’ management, have emerged as a consistent force to be reckoned with at the very highest levels of Gaelic football. 

The value of winning this year’s Ulster title will take on renewed significance - not only because it is the most prized provincial crown every year, but also because All-Ireland holders Armagh have not got their hands on the Anglo-Celt Cup since 2008. 

After last year’s penalty shootout defeat to Donegal, their players will be very anxious to win that coveted Ulster championship medal.

On Saturday, Tyrone lost to the reigning All-Ireland champions in one of the best games of the season. It was an absorbing encounter, with the outcome in doubt until the last minute, when Rory Grugan scored a close-in free to see Armagh prevail. 

Despite being relegated to the second division of the National League, Tyrone, on this display, showed real promise for the future, and few teams will look forward to meeting them in the knockout stages of this championship.

To say that the atmosphere in Clones for our game with Down was stilted would be a gross understatement. I don’t believe I was ever in Clones for a provincial semi-final where there was no real buzz. 

Down would not be one of the best-supported teams in Ulster, and the fact that Donegal were overwhelming favourites contributed to the disappointing attendance.

To their credit, the Mourne men played some very attractive football, especially in attack, and they coughed up two gilt-edged goal opportunities. But at no stage did I believe that Donegal were in danger of defeat.

A highlight of this match for me was Donegal’s goal, it was a thing of beauty. Shaun Patton’s superb goal kick was won by Oisin Gallen, who quickly transferred a quality pass to Michael Langan. 

Langan spotted team captain Patrick McBrearty close to the Down square, and the Kilcar man finished a wonderful move to the net.

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Apart from his role in setting up the game’s defining score, Patton had another excellent match. His handling was superb, and after one weak goal kick, he made up for his only error with an outstanding save. 

In Ulster, I believe we have the four best goalkeepers in the modern game: Rory Beggan, Niall Morgan, Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty, and the Donegal man who, at this stage of the season, should be well on his way to a coveted All-Star award.

Donegal beat Down without a number of players excelling on this occasion. While it is reassuring to win when a team is off-colour, it will require a major step-up in performance to beat Armagh.

Ryan McHugh again played with consistency and his usual creativity. Ciaran Moore continues to impress, and Finnbarr Roarty, as the youngest member of the team, is playing like a veteran. 

I was delighted to see Oisin Gallen start. He is a class footballer and will undoubtedly create major headaches for opposing defenders over the coming weeks.

Paddy McBrearty, with 1-4, again made a big contribution to his team’s victory, while Michael Murphy, apart from scoring some excellent points, was instrumental in many of his team’s scores. 

The introduction of many players off the bench, with a view to giving them game time, was understandable, but it may have been a factor in the team’s less-than-coordinated performance.

Still, it is great to be back in yet another Ulster final after all the barren years when winning a first round in Ulster was greeted with acclaim.

The decision of the Ulster Council to play the final in Clones is the correct one, and credit must go to Brian McEvoy and his Ulster Council colleagues for keeping the final at home and not moving it to Croke Park. 

Clones on Ulster final day has a uniqueness all its own. It is much more accessible than heading to Dublin, which makes for a very expensive day for the many wonderful families that follow our team everywhere.

With our Under-20 team in action tomorrow night, Wednesday,  in Owenbeg in the Ulster final against Tyrone, we could be on the cusp of a memorable ten days in the history of Donegal football. 

It is a special and unique time to be a Donegal fan, but there is no such thing as a bad time to support our county.

The value of the GAA can never be confined simply to cups and medals. Of course, these successes and medals make the sacrifices worthwhile and are high points, but the full measure of what the GAA means to us is richer than that.

The GAA is about people, about the work done in clubs, and the pride in the communities they represent. 

Last Wednesday night, my own club, Aodh Rua, welcomed former Cork hurling manager Kieran Kingston to their clubhouse to present medals to their Under-12 hurling team. 

Kieran was a top-class ambassador who enjoyed his visit to Donegal, and the young hurlers were a credit to their coaches and their parents in what was a very special evening organised and hosted by club chairman Barry O’Neill.