Draws made for the Donegal U21 club football championships

The draws for the Donegal U21 club football championships have been made, with 36 clubs fielding teams across four divisions of competition.

Such has been the interest from clubs this year that a new fourth tier – the U21D championship – has been added.

The U21A championship is, of course, the blue riband event and the ten teams which have entered it are Termon, Buncrana, Sean Mac Cumhaill's, Glenswilly, Naomh Conaill, Dungloe, Gaoth Dobhair, St Eunan's, Aodh Ruadh and Four Masters.

Four Masters are the defending champions. They beat serial winners Naomh Conaill in last year's U21A final to record a first win at the grade in nearly a quarter of a century, and the Donegal Town club will open the defence of their title with a hop and a skip down the N15 to take on Aodh Ruadh.

Each team will play three group games, with the top eight advancing to the quarter-final where the pairings will be 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 with the four highest placed teams earning home field advantage. The semi-finals will be played at neutral venues.

The U21B championship is structured identically, with ten teams getting three games each and the top eight contesting the quarter-finals.

Cloughaneely, who beat Burt in last year's U21B final, are back to defend their title, and they're at home to Naomh Columba in the opening round.

The teams who entered the U21B championship are Milford, Carndonagh, Naomh Pádraig Uisce Chaoin, Glenfin, St Naul's, Ardara, Cloughaneely, Naomh Columba, Burt and Malin.


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Eight clubs have entered both the U21C and U21D championship, and those will be structured in two groups of four, with the top team in each group qualifying straight for the semi-final and the second and third placed teams from either group contesting the quarter-finals. The second placed teams will have home advantage in the quarters.

Group A in the U21C championship comprises of Kilcar, Red Hugh's, Killybegs and Naomh Muire, while Letterkenny Gaels, Downings, Naomh Bríd and St Michael's will play in Group B.

The new U21D championship also has two groups of four, with Fanad, Moville, Convoy and Lifford in Grúpa A and Newtown, Bundoran, Robert Emmet's and Na Rossa in Grúpa B.

Only three of Donegal's 39 clubs – Naomh Ultan, St Naul's and Urris – have not entered the 2025 U21 football competitions.

The U21 championships are scheduled to commence on the weekend of 18 October.