Gaoth Dobhair better prepared than 2023 - Rónán Mac Niallais

Gaoth Dobhair boss Rónán Mac Niallais is hoping that his side are more experienced after their defeat in the final two years ago.

Sunday’s final is a renewal of 2023, when Mac Niallais was in his first year in charge and he guided the Magheragallon men back to the decider for the first time in four years.

However, he had to undergo a massive overhaul in the panel, with only nine players featuring in both finals.

And that includes the McGees, Neil and Eamon, who are both no longer part of the senior team now.

They were taught a lesson from Naomh Conaill that day as they were seven down early in the first half.

But the bainisteoir feels the young side are better prepared coming into this Sunday.

“It’s important in every game to get off to a good start, especially when you’re playing against a team with the caliber of Naomh Conaill, who have the experience of the big day. This will be their eighth final in nine years, and they know what it’s all about, and it’s second nature to them on the big day.

“We were there two years ago and we didn’t do ourselves justice at all, and we wouldn’t be happy with how we performed, but Naomh Conaill came out of the blocks quick and never gave us a sniff of it after that.

“Maybe that final came a bit too soon for this group of players. We had a lot of younger players come through at that time, but this is their third year at it now so they’ll be more ready for it now, hopefully.

“A good start would be nice, but we haven’t started the last few games too well so it’s all about having the attitude and whatever happens on the day, it’s all about how you react to it.”

Gaoth Dobhair are the only side unbeaten in this year’s championship, and they have come through every 60 minute game on the winning side, which is a heavy contrast to how the season started for them.

They were without some of their heavy hitters in county panellists Dáire Ó Baoill, Odhran McFadden-Ferry and Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde, while Pádraig Mac Giolla Bhríde, Jordi Gribben and Cathal ‘Rua’ Ó Gallchóir were with the Under-20s, and Daithi Roberts, Cian McEntee and Adam Mac Íomhair all had long term injuries, but Mac Niallais didn’t make excuses for the absences.

“We had a very disappointing start to the year in the league and the Gaeltacht, and we lost five games in a row and the new rules probably played a role in that.

“You’re playing teams who had all of their first 15 at their disposal, but as the year went on, we got to grips with it, and the league went better for us near the end.

“In Gaoth Dobhair, it’s just not acceptable to be losing four or five games in a row, you might lose one or two, and that’s fair enough, but the quality of players in that dressing room we thought were good enough, and there were a lot of hard conversations had.

“But in fairness to the boys, they used it the right way, and they knuckled down and we could see a change in their attitude and how they went about things after that.

“Sometimes it’s good to have that, we would have had ideas of getting to league finals but that went out the window then and it was a relegation for a while which was maybe a wake up call which some of our players needed to realsie that just because you have a Gaoth Dobhair jersey on your back doesn’t mean you’re entitled to win a game.

“You have to earn your right to win every game and it doesn’t matter who you’re playing for.”

But their form took a good turn towards the end of the league and they have pushed on since.

“As the championship came along, we took it one game at a time. 

“We had a bad start to the championship last year, and we didn’t want to go down that road again. All our focus was on the first game, and we got the win and moved on from there.

“We’ve been happy with the progress, we’re not happy with the performance every day but we’ve been getting the results. The games are always tight, the St Michael’s we won by six points, whether we deserved to win by six is another question, but every game before that were tight enough games.

“Overall, we’re happy enough to be getting the results because last year there were some games we played alright and we ended up losing, and the championship is all about winning games.”

And while Gaoth Dobhair have come through all their challenges so far, the boss admits those intense encounters have been amplified by the new rules in the game.

“It’s crazy, before this year, if you’re six points up, then you lock up shop and keep out the goals and you win the game.

“Now all you have to do is step off a yard or two, and two pointers go over and the next thing you know, it’s helter skelter and it’s very hard to control or see out a game.

“Kickouts are huge, and unless you have the ball in your hand, it’s very hard to see out a game.”

“But the main thing is we have seen out those games and to be in those tight situations and come out the other side is great to have that in the locker that we have done that.”