‘I was nearly living out of the car’ - refreshed Shane O’Donnell after move home

It’s a hectic schedule for the Donegal footballers at present, but being close to home for Shane O’Donnell has been a huge help in balancing this busy time of the year.

No county side remaining in the All-Ireland Championship has played more championship games than Jim McGuinness’ men have, and they will be the first side to hit eight championship games when they face Louth in MacCumhaill Park this Sunday (throw-in 4pm).

A win over the Wee County would see Donegal out again for the third weekend in a row, but for O’Donnell, there are positives and negatives in it, but it’s all he has known since joining up with the county in 2022.

“It’s a bit of both, it’s definitely more enjoyable because at the end of the day, when you’re training in December or January, you’re looking forward to playing games.

“It is taxing on the body too, especially going through Ulster with every game being as tough as the next and we got the short straw of going into the preliminary against Derry which was an extra game we didn’t really want but thankfully we got over the line with the Ulster championship.

“In my experience, it has only been the split season and I’m enjoying it so far. It’s good to know schedules and when you’ll be with the club or with Donegal.”

The St Eunan’s man has put in a number of huge performances this season and he is enjoying his county experiences more with each season passing.

And a big reason behind that this year is a return to living in Donegal.

A year away from the panel in 2023 was a decision he admits was tough to make, but needed at the time.

But after completing a four-year course at Dublin City University, studying PE and Mathematics, O’Donnell is now teaching in Deele College in Raphoe.

The difference between time on the road and travelling to training has been a huge factor in his enjoyment and form on the pitch.

“The big thing for me was getting home, I was in Dublin for four years so it was very taxing on the body which led to me taking the break in between.

“I was nearly living out of the car last year at one stage so it’s nice to be able to rest and recover at home and I feel good at the minute.

“It’s very tough, after my first year in (the panel), I thought maybe I wasn’t performing as well as I’d have liked to so I was maybe putting that down to fatigue, the driving can be hard on the body.

“It was a tough choice, we had a good enough year in my first year, we got to an Ulster final and lost to Derry in extra-time who were flying at the time.

“But I had to be selfish and look after my body and myself and I got to go out to America that summer, which was a nice refresher and that drove the hunger back in.

“I stepped back a bit and tried to focus on my career and college but with being home and when I went back in last year and with Jim coming back, it was hard to turn it down and it worked out well with my timetable in terms of placement and with DCU.

“But in terms of other years, I feel a lot fresher and healthier this year.”

Donegal meet Louth this Sunday and one provincial championship will fall in the preliminary quarter-final, which O’Donnell admits is a strange position to be in.

“It is unusual, I was thinking that when I was in the room next door that it’s kind of mad all four of us didn’t make it into the quarter-final and we’re all into the preliminary round which is a bit surreal but I suppose that’s just the way the structure is at the moment and how much the competition is there as well.

“We took our eye off the ball against Tyrone and we’re probably in the place we deserve to be. It is a bit mad and it’s all to play for, one of us are going to go out between ourselves and Louth, which is surreal again that one of the provincial champions won’t even make the quarter-final.”