Donegal GAA Masters team on verge of another All-Ireland final

Donegal GAA Masters are just one step away from another All-Ireland final when they take on Sligo in the Sligo Centre of Excellence, Scardaun on Thursday night (7.30 pm).

Tyrone, who are seeking the Mick Loftus Cup for the fifth year in-a-row, play Dublin in the other semi-final.

Donegal Masters, after a trip to Scotland in March, have made great progress this year, to finish in the Top Four and manager, Eddie Crawford, is delighted with the way things have gone.

“Listen, if you had said to me at the start of the season that you would be in an All-Ireland A semi-final I would have taken the hand off you, absolutely.

“We were aiming to improve from last year (when we were in the Plate final, C section). We were aiming for the Shield final, so  we are happy enough, delighted.

“It’s a big step to be fair. People say to me you got this team to the top tier, but I say it was the team that got me to it. Without them this wouldn’t have happened,” says Crawford.

Donegal got off to a great start with a big win over Sligo and apart from one hiccup it has been a great year so far.

“We did indeed, and we had a wee setback then against Tyrone but Tyrone are a formidable side, full of quality, Stephen O’Neill, Conor Gormley, Mark Donnelly and Marty McGrath. These boys are All-Stars,” said Crawford, who feels that while Tyrone had great individuals, Donegal are a team of hard workers.

“That’s what I tried to instil into them at the start of the year, to play as a team, and that’s what they are doing.”

Crawford felt the win against Derry was an important part of the season.

“The win against Derry was the turning point and we knew that. Even the Down match, we played them up in Belfast and they had a packed team but the boys showed great character and we beat them by five or six points.

“We had a challenge game last week against Antrim up in Garvaghey and we beat them by five or six points as well and they are still in the B championship.”

Pictured with a Donegal Masters jersey is Seamus Gallagher of Bayview Hotel, Killybegs, who is the new sponsor of Donegal GAA Masters. Included are Ronan Kennedy, Naomh Ultan; Gerard McBrearty (treasurer), Seamus Gallagher, Eamon J McHugh (Killybegs) and Conor McShane (chairman.

The Donegal Masters are getting good numbers to training but Crawford is worried this week about the possibility of injuries being picked up in the club championship.

“The county is in club championship mode at the minute and we are sitting here hoping that everyone comes through unscathed at the weekend. Most of our boys are still playing at a high standard, Shaun Maguire, Ciaran Scanlon playing senior with Cloughaneely; the McShanes, Thompsons playing Reserve. We are just keeping our fingers crossed,” said Crawford, who said they did have a number of players injured. “It’s the holiday period as well and we have Sean McDaid away on holidays and he is a big loss.

“But listen, one door closes, another door opens is what I say to the guys.”

Sligo now await and after defeating them by 5-10 to 0-8 in the opening game in Ballyshannon, Crawford says this will be a different game on Thursday night.

“I have been keeping an eye on Sligo and I admire Nigel Clancy, the Sligo manager, because he pushed on from that day we beat them. You know yourself that game in Ballyshannon, the score did not reflect the game. They were a lot better than that scoreline. They have pushed on and they have a big squad now.

“Listen, we are taking nothing for granted. Semi-finals are there to be won. When we looked at the draw, yeah we were hoping to get Sligo, but I’m sure Sligo wanted to get us. They wanted to avoid Tyrone and Dublin as well.

“We’re looking forward to the game and I’m a wee bit nervy because I take nothing for granted.”

The last time Donegal got to the A final was back in 2019 and they defeated Dublin in Ballyleague, Roscommon 0-9 to 0-7 but only a handful of the panel remain from that year.

“I was talking to Gerard McBrearty today and he’s five years involved now and he has never played in an A final and he said he would love to play in one. But at the moment we are not looking past Sligo and we’ll think about the final if we are lucky enough to get through.

“Either way, there is going to be a team  from the north west in the A final,” said Crawford, who is happy with his panel this year with Benny Boyle back; Gary Dunnion and Donnacha Gallagher in as new recruits; the Thompsons from Naomh Conaill and ‘class act’ Damien Browne.

Crawford also brought in Ruairi McLaughlin as trainer this year and the word from the players is that Ruairi has made a big impression. John Joe O’Shea provides the wisdom while Paul Gallagher provides the organisation.

This year too in recent weeks, the Masters have got a new team sponsor, thanks to Seamus Gallagher and the Bayview Hotel, Killybegs. Donegal Masters  treasurer, Gerard McBrearty, was fulsome in his praise of Seamus Gallagher for stepping in.

“Myself and Conor McShane approached him and he was very positive towards getting involved. We now have a three year sponsorship for our gear and it takes a load off our shoulders.

“We were able to liaise with O’Reilly’s through our PRO, Paul Patton, who got samples to Seamus and he gave us the go ahead.

“Recently we got one of the jerseys framed and made a presentation to Seamus to display in the hotel. He has also made the hotel available to us for functions, etc., which is very generous,” said McBrearty.

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Last meeting - 8th May 2025

Donegal 5-10

Sligo 0-7

Donegal: Carl O'Brien; Joe O'Donnell, Eamon Ward, Enda Bonner; Aaron Thompson, Gary Dunnion, Sean McDaid; Brendan Boyle, Eunan Keaveney; Nicky McGarrigle, Damien Browne, Stephen Coyle; Gerard McBrearty, Brian McLaughlin, Leon Thompson.

Subs: Ciaran Scanlon, Kevin McBrearty, Laurence McMullan, Micheal Canning, Pauric Connaghan, Brian Doherty, Gavin Doherty, Stephen Doherty, Martin Donaghey, Donnacha Gallagher, Ronan Kennedy, Ronan Lowther, Paul Lynch, Diarmaid  Slevin, Sean O'Donnell, Barry Nelis, Martin Mooney, David McShane, Conor McShane, Paddy McNulty, Eamon J McHugh, Stephen McGlynn.

Sligo: Darren Kearns; Aodhan Brennan, Mark Burke, Enda Kelly; Colin Neary, Brian Curran, Kevin Gallagher; Tony Taylor, Johnny Martyn; Jonathan Lynch, Chris Kelly, James Leonard; Conor O'Grady, Thomas Cryan, Peter Lyons.

Subs: Ian Rossiter, Damian Kelly, James Lawrence, Aidan Brennan, Robert Nealon, Sean Stagg.