McShea's Say: Donegal will bounce back from this, of that I have no doubts

The one thing I do know is that the most disappointed group of people in Dublin last Sunday night was the Donegal team, their management, and their officials.

I never experienced the honour of playing in an All-Ireland final, but I did play on two defeated semi-final teams. Many years later, I still vividly remember the awful emptiness of waking up on Monday morning knowing that our dream had ended against Offaly and Galway.

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I didn’t see Sunday’s defeat coming. Yes, I was concerned. Kerry, our opponents, were playing in their 63rd final, while this was only our fourth. But early in the match, it was clear we weren’t prepared for the ferocious storm that hit us. By the 13th minute, Kerry had already scored ten points, and we were trailing by seven.

They came out with intensity and a clear agenda, while we struggled to find any coherent response.

Kerry hunted in packs, supported each other all over the pitch, and played with aggression and sharpness.

Our players tried their best to cope with the blitz, but Kerry kept the tempo high from start to finish, despite Donegal's determined efforts.

David Clifford’s two-pointer just before half-time was crucial - it gave Kerry a seven-point lead at the break. But this Donegal team has shown remarkable courage over the past two years. They never allowed a deficit, no matter how significant, to define a match.

You can analyse teams and performances in any number of ways, but ultimately it comes down to players giving everything they have for the full game.

If it’s going against you, you must find the mental strength to fight back, no matter the odds. If you’re winning, you must press on. You are on stage, performing, and you must carry on until the final whistle.

Sunday’s final can best be described as one side playing exceptionally well and building a lead that was never going to be caught. But to Donegal’s credit, while things didn’t go their way, they never stopped battling.

Defeat in an All-Ireland final is one of the hardest pills to swallow. But this loss will not define the excellent CV of this team.

Since Jim McGuinness returned, Donegal haven’t won just one, but two Ulster Championships, despite the incredibly high standard of football in the province.

Retaining this year’s Ulster Championship was like running a marathon, with so many tough games to play. Beating the reigning All-Ireland champions, Armagh, was just one of many significant results.

Reaching last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, where we were unlucky to lose to Galway, was a big step forward. Making it to this year’s final was major progress.

Supporting Donegal this year has been a joy. We were treated to some wonderful football.

The new rules have allowed players to express themselves and showcase their ability like never before. In Croke Park on Sunday, the Donegal fans seemed to outnumber Kerry supporters by four or five to one.

The strong turnout from Inishowen is a positive sign for development in that part of the county.

We can expect at least four or five of our players to receive All-Star awards this year, which would be well-deserved recognition. Playing inter-county football today requires enormous commitment and dedication. It means putting your social life on hold and maintaining an astonishing level of fitness. The time and effort invested by this Donegal team is something we can only admire.

I believe that the Sam Maguire Cup will return to Donegal in the not-so-distant future. There is no magic formula, just a foundation of honesty and hard work that glues this project together.

This will be a difficult week for the players. Training is over, and the bond of friendship forged through months of shared sacrifice will be deeply missed.

But they are caught up in something few could have imagined a few short years ago, the dream of becoming All-Ireland champions.

As fans, we’ve enjoyed a wonderful year. We owe the management, players, and county board a sincere thank you for the memories. The atmosphere in Dublin at the weekend was electric, and Donegal supporters were a credit to themselves and their county.

Already, we are looking forward to 2026.