Mac's View: Very impressive display from Donegal in McKenna Cup final

Congratulations to Jim McGuinness and the crew on a very impressive display in Healy Park, Omagh on Saturday night. I thought they were awesome at times and they are in very good shape, fitness wise.

I have to say I left Omagh buzzing and I am really looking forward to Saturday next and the start of the National League with the trip to Croke Park to play Dublin.

There was so much to be happy about after Saturday night. They have found a new striker in Shea Malone, who came from Sligo Rovers and he looks quite a find.

Then you have the young Four Masters crew of Turlough Carr, Kevin Muldoon and Conor McCahill. I was very impressed with Turlough Carr the way he handled the ball and Muldoon has great pace.

Gavin Mulreany gave another first class display in goals and is also a very good long-distance free taker. I was sorry to see Brendan McCole go off so early and I hope he’s okay,

The Buncrana man Caolan McGonagle was captain on the night and playing his 99th game for Donegal and he put in a very strong display. And big Kieran Gallagher also did well in the middle of the field along Hugh McFadden, who was awarded man of the match. I have always been a big fan of Hugh and he is now adding scores to his game.

Up front Conor O’Donnell is blossoming into a real good player and he is playing with a swagger.

I know that Monaghan were short and didn’t have the Scotstown lads, but the way we were playing I don’t think it would have made any difference. It was great to see Jason McGee coming on and playing with a great appetite.

With the supporters being enthused it must also be good for Jim McGuinness and the backroom team to have this influx of new and young talent. Because of that, Saturday night was very special.

I was also very happy with the Donegal following on the night and they must have outnumbered Monaghan four to one. I was a little disappointed with the Monaghan turnout, given that Omagh is just down the road for them.

It looks as if we will have a good support going to Dublin this Saturday evening and I’m looking forward to that game. Dublin won’t be easy but after Saturday night I can’t see them being at the same level of fitness that we showed. Croke Park is a big pitch, but so is Omagh and we were flying on Saturday night.

I hear that Jim is organising a warm-weather training camp at the end of the league and that would be great preparation for the start of the championship. I think we have five weeks from the last league game before the opening championship game with Down so a camp would fit in well. We will need to have everybody fit and ready for the journey we’re hoping to go on.

Jim has said that he is going to use the league to give the new talent the chance to develop and that is the right thing to do.

I’m hearing that Oisin Gallen and Michael Murphy were back training with the U-20s last weekend and that is great news. They can’t be far away from the main action. Having them train with the U-20s is also a great boost for that group as well.

Elsewhere at the weekend there was a great win for Mark McHugh in his first year in management with Westmeath, winning the O’Byrne Cup on Friday night when they defeated Kildare in a close match. He has one helluva player in his captain, Ronan Wallace, who scored 1-7 in the final.

Galway got the better of Mayo by a small margin in the FBD final but I gather both sides were very experimental.

READ NEXT: Donegal's only league win in Croke Park against the Dubs - 1994

The other big game of the weekend was the club final and it was a cracker with Dingle overcoming St Brigid’s after extra-time. I felt sorry for the Roscommon side but you have to hand it to the Kerry boys, they have now won all three club titles this year as well as the seniors winning the league and championship.

Finally this week, my condolences to the Mick McGrath and the McGrath family, Ballyshannon on the death of their mother Phyllis McGrath. May her gentle soul rest in peace.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell