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21 Oct 2025

McShea’s Say: Hopeful tales of Naomh Conaill's demise were greatly exaggerated

Some dared to write them off in recent seasons but there has been some egg left on those same faces. Indeed many might have hoped they'd go away under the new rules but, as they proved at the weekend, that won't be happening

McShea’s Say: Naomh Conaill remain the standard bearers in Donegal 

Finnbarr Roarty was excellent for Naomh Conaill in their win over Gaoth Dobhair

In a Donegal club campaign where once again Naomh Conaill excelled, I believed the competition lacked the traditional bite associated with championship football. 

That all changed at the semi-final and final stages which were all good competitive encounters. 

In the last ten years, Naomh Conaill’s success story was quite remarkable as they enjoyed an era of dominance and drama which most other clubs could only admire. 

Their success this year was remarkable; they seemed to be in danger in most of their championship tussles, but their character and their football was such that they eventually overwhelmed all opposition and seemed to grow stronger with every game. 

Their ability to peak at just the correct time is a feature of this team’s game, and their management obviously had their preparation spot on, as their second half display against Gaoth Dobhair confirmed. 

Many footballers will tell you that sometimes going to training is as much of an effort as training itself. 

Every game has an energy, a personality of its own. Not every bounce of the ball is equal. But Glenties have a process and a system, and I believe that once again this year their process and system was far superior to that of any other club team. 

Yes, they have had to refine certain things because of the new rules but man-to-man or zonal, they were able to play teams anyway they needed. 

And then they had the players who were able to seamlessly fit into all of that. That was the major difference. 

Naomh Conaill once again had a great mix of experience and youth and when they got a chance, the young players took on their men and kicked some great points, while the more senior players displayed their usual freedom, concentration and manliness, a very difficult mix to handle. 

Some dared to write them off in recent seasons but there has been some egg left on those same faces. Indeed many might have hoped they'd go away under the new rules but, as they proved at the weekend, that won't be happening. 

I am clutching at straws in attempting to claim some bit of Ballyshannon credit for Glenties’ latest success, but captain John O’Malley’s mum Bernie is a Ballyshannon lady, while his dad John is a proud Galway supporter. 

For Gaoth Dobhair, the disappointment of defeat still lingers. They played excellent football in the first half of the final, and while it will be of little consolation few, if any team in the county could have lived with Naomh Conaill’s excellence in that second half. 

Most of the weekend I spent watching football and hurling games. After watching Ballyboden beating Na Fianna in the Dublin final, my initial reaction was that I would not be rushing out to have a bet on Dublin to lift the Sam Maguire next year. 

While the playing conditions were difficult, the standard of football left a lot to be desired and there was not a remote sign of a Finnbarr Roarty or a Max Campbell on view. 

The Cork hurling final was also a very disappointing game. The standard of hurling was not what one would expect from a Rebel championship final, and a negative feature of both sides was the glaring inaccuracy of both attacks. 

One of the analysts on RTE 2 was Patrick Horgan, the all-time highest scorer in championship hurling, and I would be in no way surprised if the Cork management team ask him to reconsider his decision to retire. 

When it comes to announcing the Donegal panel or squad for 2026, I expect that Four Masters, Termon, Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair will be the sides most likely to have new blood included in the new selection. 

While no doubt some players will be disappointed, as their form in our championship was not of a standard to justify inclusion in the new set-up. 

Declan Bonner, the new Fermanagh manager, saw his Belleek team come back from the brink in their county final against Derrygonnelly in Brewster Park last Saturday night. 

After a narrow semi-final win against Ederney, the Belleek side once again showed Glenties-like battling qualities in a most competitive final. 

The replay next weekend will be a most difficult game to call. In the next few weeks, we will have a look at possible Donegal All-Stars and the Ulster club championship.

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