Donegal have processed Kerry loss and are ready to move on - Jim McGuinness

Donegal boss Jim McGuinness says he, his backroom team and his players have had some frank discussions on exactly what went wrong in their All-Ireland final loss to Kerry.

Donegal held onto their Ulster crown with a dramatic extra-time win over then reigning All-Ireland champions Armagh. 

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But in their hugely anticipated All-Ireland final clash with the Kingdom, they just didn’t get up to the early and frantic pace set by Jack O’Connor’s side in 1-26 to 0-19 loss at Croke Park. 

Donegal have since had time to reflect on the manner of that defeat and, having just spent ten days together in Cancun, Mexico on their team holiday, have also now had the opportunity to thrash out what they feel exactly went wrong. 

Speaking at the annual Donegal GAA awards banquet in Donegal Town at the weekend, McGuinness says 2026’s initial target has to be once again keeping the Anglo Celt in the north west. 

If they managed to do that, go ‘three-in-a-row’, it would be an unprecedented achievement as far as a Donegal side is concerned.

“Bar the final, it was the perfect year,” he said when asked to sum up 2025. “On reflection, back-to-back Ulster titles is a very difficult thing to do. I don’t think any Donegal team has done ‘three-in-a-row’, so that’s the challenge now. 

“Personally, I feel this year’s Ulster final was probably the best game I’ve ever been involved in or experienced. I give the fellas huge credit for that. It was a mammoth task against an Armagh side that really had us in their sights. 

“It will be the same next year, I have no doubt about that. They really want to get one over on us. They haven’t got that Ulster medal yet, and they were coming hard for us last time out.

“At some stage down the line, when you’re long gone out of the game, it’s one you’d like to sit down and watch back. We’d to go the well so many times and everyone stood up and was counted”. 

He added: “Bringing the Anglo Celt back to Donegal is a massive thing. It’s so difficult to win the All-Ireland, so difficult too to win Ulster. 

“Once you have the Ulster title at the front of the bus on the way out of Clones, it’s a lovely thing”. 

In regards to the All-Ireland final loss, McGuinness says the group has thrashed it out together and they believe they’ve identified a lot of the issues that resulted in the ten-point defeat. 

Still, McGuinness says there was no denying that Kerry were full value for their win and the margin of it. 

“We just didn’t bring our true colours on the day. That’s the reality of the situation, and there is a lot of learning in that game for us. We believe we have a good idea now of why the game was lost.

“There are things we certainly need to work on and bring forward into 2026. There is no sentiment in football. Kerry were at it and they took the game to us from the very off.

“After the first quarter, we’d a real battle on our hands. So we have a lot of learning to take from the game. 

“But at the same time, there is a lot of talent in our group, a lot of good fellas in our group”.

McGuinness didn’t let the opportunity pass to thank the partners of the Donegal players and management who he says show great patience and support in helping them make sure the group is allowed to focus so much time and effort on football.  

“They are so dedicated and I’d also like to acknowledge the partners here tonight as well. They were all on our team holiday and it was great just to meet them all in that kind of environment. 

“They sacrifice so much themselves to allow the coaches and players to be able to do what they do, three to four nights a week. 

“It was great to see everyone get on so well. It was just lovely and there was a brilliant atmosphere. 

“It was also an opportunity to recognise their contribution.

“I’d also like to thank the county board, chairperson Mary Coughlan in particular. There is just brilliant support there. It makes our job so much easier; it allows us to get on with it.

“The reality is we’re back to ground zero now. And it’s going to take a huge amount of work to get back to where we were. 

“But we do have a plan in our head. And we’ll get back to business very shortly and look to go again”.