McShea’s Say: How can Donegal take the next step towards All-Ireland glory?

Football has always measured success by what you win, but only in the last 15 years have teams started to think about how to win. 

Data has now suffused almost every aspect of how football is played, coached, and consumed. But it is not the algorithms or new metrics that have made this change. It is the people behind them. 

As Donegal are now involved in serious preparation for the new season, playing Derry in the McKenna Cup in Celtic Park on Wednesday night, I begin to wonder what the management could do to go a step further and reach the pinnacle of the modern game? 

I do believe that the game has improved to a significant degree with the advent of the new rules, and I am also of the opinion that it is significantly over analysed, but football is about doing the simple things well both on and off the pitch. 

After winning the last two Ulster championships and finishing as All-Ireland runners-up last year, it may seem churlish to consider change, but every Donegal man, woman and child has a desire to see our team go one better this year and win our third ever All-Ireland title. 

Going back to our never to be forgotten first All-Ireland title in 1992, Donegal had a presence in the Hogan stand in communication with the Donegal sideline. 

Croke Park is a very big stadium, and it is very difficult to get a transparent look at what is evolving from ground level, so to have an eye in the sky would ensure that the whole pitch would be scrutinised, and as the game evolved, management would have an enhanced take on developments.

With Luke Barrett having decided to take up a role with our semi-final opponents in Derry, it may have offered the Donegal management the opportunity to include a new reader of the game to the Donegal back room team, but the status quo has been maintained for this season and it seems unlikely that there will be any addition to management with the competitive season under way.

Positive Result in Antrim

Donegal did well in very difficult conditions to see off the Antrim challenge in Cargin on Sunday, winning their McKenna Cup tie with eleven points to spare. Their reward is a McKenna cup semi-final in Celtic Park with a 7-30pm throw-in. 

There were some encouraging aspects to this display, and it was especially encouraging to see the captain for the night, Hugh McFadden, who had his best year in a county jersey in 2025, pick up where he left off last year with another fine performance.

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Donegal, with only two of their All-Ireland side in the starting line-up, Jason McGee and Ciaran Moore, were very much in experimental mode, and in such difficult conditions, it would be wrong to read too much into a win against what was also a very experimental home side. Credit must go to a very young Donegal side who fielded ten debutants, and I expect that many of them will again feature in Derry. 

Even in the process of looking at new blood, winning is a very good habit (During his tenure as Tyrone manager, Mickey Harte won ten McKenna cups), and another game before Kerry come to town would be excellent preparation for the visit of the reigning All-Ireland winners.

Sympathy

It was with much regret that I learned of the death of Glenties stalwart Seamus O’Malley last week. Seamus was always good company, and he was an exceptional Naomh Conaill club man, holding most positions at the executive level for his club. To his wife Bernie and family, I extend my sincere sympathy.

Mary Conlon

Ballyshannon lost a very special lady with the death of Mary Conlon, Bundoran Road, who was laid to rest last Friday. 

Mary and her husband Peter were near neighbours and very close friends of my mother and father, and they were not only exceptional neighbours, but true loyal friends. 

To husband Peter, son Damien and the two girls Kathleen and Maria, I extend my sympathy on their great loss.