O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny could host first Ulster Championship game since 1951

The draws for the 2026 National League and the Ulster Senior Championship will be made in the coming weeks and if Donegal secure a home championship draw it looks almost certain that MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey will be unavailable due to current improvements works being carried out on the pitch.

That would mean that Donegal would have to put forward O'Donnell Park as the venue for a home championship game. 

The works on Donegal's main pitch at MacCumhaill Park are ongoing but with re-seeding to take place Donegal GAA chairperson, Mary Coughlan, this week stated that it was extremely unlikely that the pitch would be available for Donegal games.

"Donegal's National League games will be shared between O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny and Fr Tierney Park, Ballyshannon and the likelihood of the MacCumhaill Park pitch being ready to host a championship game is slim at this stage," said chairperson Coughlan.

"We have been in contact with Croke Park and the Ulster Council and have fully briefed them on the developments.

"O'Donnell Park in Letterkenny are also currently working on upgrading their facility to increase the capacity from 8,500 at present," said Coughlan.

There would be an issue with capacity at O'Donnell Park for an Ulster championship game but there is also a precedent for Donegal to have the game at home as Antrim were able to host their Ulster championship encounter with Armagh earlier this year, even though the capacity at Corrigan Park in Belfast was just 4,000.

The last time an Ulster senior championship match was hosted in O'Donnell Park was way back in 1951 when Donegal and Antrim drew.

The draws for the National League will be known in the next couple of weeks. However, the Ulster championship draw is not being made until later in November.

Meanwhile, the Donegal senior squad and backroom team will jet off on their holiday on Friday to Cancun, Mexico. 

On their return they will be presented with their Ulster Championship medals at the Donegal GAA banquet in the Abbey Hotel on Saturday, November 1st. All the annual awards will also be presented on the night. Tickets for the event are available from the Donegal GAA Office in Convoy.

A number of the Donegal panel will be back in action also on their return in the Ulster Club Championships in Ulster. The hurling winners plus Carndonagh in the Junior football championship are in action on the weekend of 1/2 November with Intermediate and senior winners, Naomh Columba and Naomh Conaill in action on November 8/9th. All three Donegal football clubs have been drawn away to the Monaghan winners. It's possible that the Naomh Columba and Naomh Conaill games could be a double header in Clones.

Scotstown and Inniskeen will contest the Monaghan senior final on Sunday week; Carrickmacross Emmetts play Killanny in the Intermediate final, on Saturday week while this weekend Emyvale v Sean MacDiarmaida (Three Mile House) clash in the Junior final.