Doubt no more - Naomh Conaill are now the team to beat in Donegal

The novelty of that first win in 2005 for Naomh Conaill remains but who would have foretold what was to come in the next 20 years.

On Sunday last three of that winning team were playing in their 13th final and winning their eighth senior medal. This team are re-writing history now every single year and the manner in which they are achieving it is winning them accolades from even their most ardent enemies.

Back in 2025 I remember travelling to Glenties on the Monday after the win and doing interviews with some of the players in Leo McLoone’s pub. Hughie and John Molloy had managed a team of established players like Paddy Campbell, John Gildea, Johnny Bonner and Jim McGuinness as well as young guns like Eoin Waide, Anthony Thompson, Brendan McDyer and Leo McLoone jnr, then only 16.

That success was celebrated in style and I was honoured to be invited to their annual dinner dance that year when the first ever Donegal SFC medals were presented to Naomh Conaill players.

Taking a broad look at what unfolded on Sunday last in O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny as Naomh Conaill took their 8th title from 13 finals, the similarities are stark. The young guns of 2005 were still there along with three new young guns (Finnbarr Roarty, Shea Malone and Max Campbell) stepping up to the plate in their extra-time win over Gaoth Dobhair.

Pride of place is so important for the GAA club and by any criteria, pride of place is central to what Naomh Conaill have done since 2005. The talent that they have nurtured have stayed true to the Blue and White with very little leakage from the club team. Compared with other clubs that is where they have really scored.

The spirit which has been nurtured has produced club teams that now have an air of confidence when they take the field, especially in the last 10 years where they have contested nine of the 11 county finals.

While Hughie Molloy was the man to lead them to the first win, Martin Regan’s name is now almost immortal in the annals of Naomh Conaill for his role in managing the side to six Dr Maguire’s. 

Sunday’s win over Gaoth Dobhair was almost par for the course in terms of how Naomh Conaill went about their business. Slightly odds on to take the title before the ball was thrown in, odds of 13/2 were being offered at half-time by bookies as the Davy Brennan Park side were seven points down - 1-10 to 0-6.

Veteran Brendan McDyer hit three of their first half tally as we all wondered could Naomh Conaill find a way once more. They were playing second fiddle almost everywhere on the field with Gaoth Dobhair dominating the middle third. Dáire Ó Baoill expertly tucked away a penalty and in the final minutes of the half the Gaoth Dobhair boys tacked on five points from Odhrán Mac Niallais, Stephen McFadden, Eamonn Collum, Ethan Harkin and Micheal Roarty to just one in reply from McDyer.

It wasn’t that we doubted that Naomh Conaill had fight in them; it was just that Gaoth Dobhair were playing so well and were well worthy of their seven point lead.

We should have known better. The lightbulb switch was lit within 30 seconds of the restart as Charles McGuinness was denied a certain goal by a fabulous save from Gaoth Dobhair ‘keeper Padraig Mac Giolla Bhride. Minutes later the ball did end up in the Gaoth Dobhair net when McGuinness challenged Eamonn Mac Giolla Bhride from a John O’Malley free but it was ruled out for a ‘square ball’ offence.

The momentum had swung - and it was to remain that way for almost all of the second half. John O’Malley’s forward mark cut the lead before the rampaging Finnbarr Roarty was denied by Mac Giolla Bhride only for the rebound to fall to Kevin McGettigan to sweep home.

Roarty, now just a magnet for the football, was almost in again but was shouldered off it with Naomh Conaill supporters calling for a penalty. In fairness it was not a penalty but there is always a willingness to make the shout when the other crowd got one in the first half.

Kieran Gallagher cut the lead to two but despite owning the ball they couldn’t convert into scores. When Ethan Harkin (from a disputed breach) and Niall Friel pushed the lead out to four, Naomh Conaill again rose to the challenge. And it was Leo McLoone who led the final push with five minutes of normal time left.

Odhrán Doherty had a couple of nibbles at two pointers without success but it didn’t put him off and he had the margin down to the minimum with two minutes left.

When Gaoth Dobhair review the tape they will not want to look at the four minutes from the 59th to the 63rd minute (four minutes of added time were put up on Pat Walsh’s board). Niall Friel put them two ahead but in the first two minutes of added time they had two gilt edged chances which would have put the game to bed.

They didn’t take them and they were punished when young Shea Malone stepped up and hit the most beautiful two pointer to push the score to 1-13 apiece. Even then Gaoth Dobhair had another late chance with their final effort going well wide of the river end posts.

You just knew that Gaoth Dobhair had blown a great chance. The momentum had been with Naomh Conaill throughout the second half but yet they failed to get in front. But, by the same token, they had hauled themselves back on terms.

By the end of the first half of extra-time the wheel had turned full circle. Naomh Conaill had tagged 1-3 to nothing in reply from a shell-shocked Gaoth Dobhair.

Young Max Campbell did a lot of the damage, firstly on the end of a great flowing move to crack home a great second goal and almost immediately find the range for a point.

Gaoth Dobhair then had to reply and they didn’t throw in the towel. Ethan Harkin hit two great two pointers to leave just two between them. He had another late chance from around 50m to send the game to a replay but was probably out on his feet at that stage with exhaustion. It dropped short and Naomh Conaill were able to celebrate once more.

You could easily say that Naomh Conaill rode their luck, not just in Sunday’s game, but in other games throughout the 2025 championship. But then sometimes you make your own luck. 

Looking on from the outside we have to be thankful that we have been around to witness the exploits of Anthony Thompson, Brendan McDyer and Leo McLoone (not forgetting Eoin Waide, who was an unused sub on Sunday) for creating a record that will only be bettered by themselves - playing in a 13th county final (16 if you count replays). The trio now join Danny Gillespie of Gaoth Dobhair (19303-’40s) and Seamie Granaghan and Brian McEniff (St Joseph’s (7) and Bundoran (1) in having eight county senior championship medals.

We should also be thankful for witnessing three young players making their county final debuts and each producing such impressive displays. Finnbarr Roarty’s name is already known the length and breadth of Ireland for his first year with Donegal seniors. His display on Sunday will go down in folklore; he was just a magnet for the ball and his ability to tackle without fouling was a joy to witness. Shea Malone, like Roarty, had 0-3 to his name, with his two pointer the most important score of the contest, taking the game to extra-time.

And then Max Campbell, in his year playing senior football, outdid his young teammates by scoring 1-1 in extra-time. 

Naomh Conaill have the Dr Maguire for another year and ended the year by inflicting the only defeat of the campaign on Gaoth Dobhair, who will have plenty to reflect on. In their favour is that they have a lot of young talent coming through. They will have to put this defeat behind them and they are well positioned to go again.

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Apart from the legends and the young guns, Naomh Conaill have a lot to be thankful for in having big Kieran Gallagher back from his travels this year. They suffered a big blow with the injury to Ciaran Thompson but Gallagher was a big plus and the midfielder must be well in the running for Player of the Year, such was his influence throughout the club championship.

As Kevin McGettigan said to me in an interview after the game on Sunday, the Naomh Conaill lads ‘love a dogfight’. One of the constants of Naomh Conaill teams from 2005 is to have ‘dogs’ who will never step away from the fight. Players like Marty Boyle, John Gildea, Johnny Bonner back in the day, you now have McGettigan, Ultan Doherty and Roarty (who is a dog and much more).

The 2026 championship will come around and Naomh Conaill will struggle through in games. We will wonder if they can turn things around when they go seven or eight points down. But after this season we should never doubt them again.

MATCH FACTS

Gaoth Dobhair 1-19

Naomh Conaill 2-18

Gaoth Dobhair scorers: Ethan Harkin 0-8,2tp;1fmark,2f; Dáire Ó Baoill 1-0,pen; Stephen McFadden, Micheal Roarty, Eamonn Collum, Niall Friel 0-2 each; Fionnan Coyle, Odhran Mac Niallais, Jordi Gribbin 0-1 each.

Naomh Conaill scorers:  Max Campbell 1-1; Kevin McGettigan 1-0; Shea Malone 0-3,1tp; Brendan McDyer 0-3; Finnbarr Roarty 0-3; John O’Malley (2fmark) 0-3; Odhran Doherty 0-2,tp;  Kieran Gallagher, Leo McLoone, Charles McGuinness 0-1 each.

Gaoth Dobhair: Padraig Mac Giolla Bhride; Neasan Mac Giolla Bhride, Gary McFadden, Eamonn Mac Giolla Bhride; Fiachra Coyle, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride, Ethan Harkin; Stephen McFadden, Adam Mac Iomhair; Fionnan Coyle, Dáire Ó Baoill, Micheal Roarty; Eoin De Burca, Odhrán Mac Niallais, Eamonn Collum.

Subs: Niall Friel for F Coyle (41); Cathal Gillespie for De Burca (49); Aodhan Breathnach for Mac Iomhair (55); Neil McGee for Eamonn Mac Giolla Bhride (55); Seaghan Ferry for S McFadden (59).

Extra-time: Cathal Rua Gallagher Fiachra Coyle; Fionnan Coyle for C Gillespie; Jordi Gribbin for F Coyle (69);  Peter McGee for S Ferry (70)

Naomh Conaill: Stephen McGrath; Ultan Doherty, AJ Gallagher, Max Campbell; Kevin McGettigan, Anthony Thompson, Finnbarr Roarty; Kieran Gallagher, Ethan O’Donnell; Brendan McDyer, John O’Malley, Odhran Doherty; Shea Malone, Charles McGuinness, Keelan McGill

Subs: Eoghan McGettigan for O’Malley (36); Mark McDevitt for A Thompson (39); Leo McLoone for C McGuinness (45); Dermot Molloy for McDyer (55).

Extra-time: John O’Malley for D Molloy; Charlie McGuinness for Odhran Doherty; Jason Campbell for AJ Gallagher (73); Odhran Doherty for K McGill (76); Seamus Corcoran for Malone (80)

Referee: James Connors (St Eunan’s)

FOOTNOTE: Sunday’s final was the first to be played in O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny in 48 years. MacCumhaill’s defeated Gaoth Dobhair 0-8 to 0-5 in 1977 with Thomas McBrearty as referee.