Mac's View: Donegal sides have good chance to advance in Ulster club

The best of luck to the two Donegal teams taking part in the Ulster Club Championships this weekend in Monaghan with Naomh Conaill and Naomh Columba flying the Donegal flag.

Carndonagh put up a very good show last weekend in the Junior Club Championship, only losing out by the minimum to Emyvale.

Naomh Columba are wished good luck on Saturday when they travel to Inniskeen to take on Carrickmacross, while Naomh Conaill travel on Sunday to Clones to take on Scotstown.

I mentioned last week that it’s a pity that the two Donegal sides were not on as a double header in Clones, but I think it’s because St Tiernach’s Park doesn’t have lights and with the change in time there might not be enough daylight should the games go to extra-time and penalties.

Naomh Columba are first into the field and they should bring plenty of confidence with them after having a very good campaign in Donegal and they looked good when defeating Malin to lift the Intermediate Championship. They have a good mixture of youth and experience and they are a proud club and have had plenty of experience over the years at senior level.

Naomh Conaill have a tough assignment on Sunday in Clones when they take on Scotstown, who have been to the fore in Monaghan for quite a while. However, I feel they are not the force they once were and a lot of their more experienced players are getting a bit old in the tooth. Still Naomh Conaill will have to be mindful of the Hughes brothers, Jack McCarron, Conor McCarthy and especially ‘keeper Rory Beggan.

Naomh Conaill are just as experienced and they have eight county titles now in the last 20 years and I have a fancy for them. They just know how to win games. I hope to make it to Clones on Sunday.

The Ulster club championships are a marvellous competition and I was lucky enough to play in a few. Back in the 1960s it was an unofficial competition and was sometimes played during the summer with evening games.

I remember playing a club game in Glencolmcille on Sunday afternoon and then going to Irvinestown to play the Tyrone champions in the Ulster club. I remember Frankie McGloin getting a tooth knocked out and he wasn’t happy.

We won our first Ulster club championship in 1966 when we played St John’s. With five minutes to go I got a kick in the shin and had to have five stitches in it. The following Sunday we were playing Donegal Town in a Junior League semi-final. Frankie McGloin got a bit of cardboard and made a shin pad for me and I put it in and pulled up my socks. We all used to play that time with our socks down. But after the game I had to go to the hospital in Ballyshannon and get it re-stitched.

We have the All-Stars ceremony this Friday night and I’m confident we’ll get at least four and maybe five awards. It is a great reward for players and I was really proud in 1992 when we got seven. I used to travel to the event every year but I’m just getting too old to make the trip now.

Our players at all levels were able to get their individual awards last Saturday night at the Donegal Banquet and apologies for not being there but both my wife and I were down with a cold.

Congrats to all concerned. The Donegal Banquet is always a good night and Ulster medals don’t come around that often.

Congratulations to the three Donegal lads playing for Ireland in the U-17 World Cup in Qatar. One of them, Josh Cullen, is a grandson of Pauric McShea, while another, Corey Sheridan’s father, Paul, has played football for Bundoran.

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Finally, this week my condolences to a number of families in Donegal and Monaghan who have suffered sad losses. We mourn the death of Nudie Hughes, a great Monaghan footballer but someone who was great craic and enjoyed lots of fun. I had him as a corner-back, half-back and corner-forward on Ulster teams in the Railway Cup.

My condolences also to the McGee family, Ballintra on the death of Sean, a great Naomh Brid footballer and great Gael.

Also to the family of Barney McMonagle, Letterkenny, who was such a great GAA follower with St Eunan’s and Donegal.

Also this week I attended a Mass in the Community Hospital in Ballyshannon for those who passed away in the last year. My good wishes to former teammate Michael McLoone, who is a patient there. We wish him a speedy return to full health.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell

The late Nudie Hughes