McShea’s Say: Attractive county final between two of Donegal’s finest clubs

Few may have predicted the meeting of Gaoth Dobhair and Naomh Conaill in Sunday week's Donegal Senior football final, as St. Eunans were hot favourites to retain the Dr Maguire Cup before the start of this year’s championship. 

But both sides are in this final on merit, and while Naomh Conaill were put to the pin of their collar before beating a good emerging Four Masters team after extra time last Sunday, Gaoth Dobhair had a more comfortable outing against St. Michaels in their semi-final and won with a bit to spare. 

Naomh Conaill have managed to progress to yet another final, without their spiritual leader Ciarán Thompson, quite an achievement as Ciarán has led from the front for his team in all their major achievements of recent years. 

Good teams are always built on the back of strong character, and one of the strongest characters in Donegal club football for many years is Ciaran’s brother, Anthony, who is playing as well as ever in the centre of the Glenties defence. 

As they say in football, some people are of the opinion that Naomh Conaill are a team in transition.

Getting to yet another final has dispelled that assumption. 

To see Gaoth Dobhair once again dining at the top table of Donegal football is a very positive development, and their record in club football in Donegal is one to be proud of. 

Over the years, Gaoth Dobhair has been a conveyor belt for our county team. 

Hughie Tim Boyle is always spoken of in glowing terms when great players of the past are the topic of discussion.

Donal and Cormac Breslin were forwards who represented Donegal with distinction, while Nealie Beag Gallagher suffered an off-the-ball injury against Tyrone back in 1973 after he had scored four points in the opening 20 minutes of a championship game in Ballybofey. 

I have no doubt Donegal would have retained their Ulster title if Nealie had not been carried off on that occasion. 

Anton Carroll was another Gaoth Dobhair defender who won Ulster titles with the county, while Ownie Mc Bride was a fine player who also represented his county with distinction.

Naomh Conaill have also played a very positive role when it comes to delivering quality players to our county teams. 

Columba McDyer played a major role in Donegal’s success when the county finally won the first Ulster title back in 1972. 

Columba also had the unique distinction of playing with Cavan when they won the only All-Ireland ever played outside of Ireland, as the 1947 final was played in New York where Cavan beat Kerry. 

Apart from an exceptional football brain, Columba, who was one of nature's gentlemen, had a very positive and soothing effect on the Donegal dressing room during those special years.

Leo McLoone senior and young Leo also served Donegal with distinction, while a teammate of big Leo, Frankie Campbell, was one of Donegal’s top forwards, and Frankie did not always get the rub of the green from the Donegal selectors during what was an exceptional club career. 

In those years, Donegal had a very talented group of players, but some selectors were guilty of vindictiveness, which was clearly taking its toll on Donegal's results. 

Another Naomh Conaill player with lots of talent was Terence Craig, he was a top-class half forward, while in recent years, Jim Mc Guinness, in his capacity as county team manager, will go into the history books for leading Donegal to only our second All-Ireland title.

One of the great clubmen from the Glenties side is Daniel McGeehan, who was another fine player.

A top-class goalkeeper, he was consistency personified, and I never ever remember him conceding a stoppable goal. 

A major plus from this championship was the excellent performances of arguably the two youngest teams playing in the campaign in Four Masters and Termon. 

Both sides were most impressive, and with a little more experience, few if any sides will be keen to encounter them when next year’s draw is made. 

The key to both teams’ progression will be their ability to keep both young squads together.

Termon served notice of their potential in winning this year’s league, while the outstanding success achieved at the underage level in Donegal Town was always going to bear fruit. 

The positive from a county perspective is that I expect that players from both clubs will be very much in the reckoning for a place in the county squad when the new season commences, and while this was a year to remember at inter-county level, every manager will actively pursue any player who looks to have the ability to enhance their county team.                                                                            

The Ryder Cup

This Ryder Cup should be remembered for the incredible brilliance of Shane Lowry for his wonderful birdie, which guaranteed his European teammates such a wonderful victory on American soil. 

Unfortunately, in recent times, when played in the States, absurdities are now the norm. 

When MC Heather McMahan led the grandstands in a chant, shouting abuse at Rory McIlroy, the organisers were left with no choice but to get McMahan out of sight as quickly as possible.

It is a wonderful event, but the performance of McMahan and several of her drunken, loud-mouthed supporters brought this wonderful competition into a place where Samuel Ryder, the man who began this event, would never have remotely envisaged.