McShea's Say: Donegal and Kerry will have some nice needle

I am really looking forward to the visit of All-Ireland champions Kerry to Ballyshannon next Sunday for the second round of the National League. Note the early throw-in time of 1.30pm.

Kerry, who hold the record for All-Ireland wins, have produced many exceptional players, but on Sunday in Ballyshannon we will get to see the greatest player ever to wear the famous green and gold jersey, David Clifford.

Donegal have wintered well after the disappointment of defeat to Kerry in last year’s All- Ireland, and winning the McKenna Cup and beating Dublin in Croke Park last Sunday sees a side growing in confidence by the week.

Winning in Dublin is never easy, and the superb performance of Michael Langan, with great support from Finnbarr Roarty and Gavin Mulreany, were major reasons for this latest success.

Kerry, in beating Roscommon last Sunday, are like most sides, including Donegal, short a number of their All-Ireland team.

But having won both the League and championship last year, they are not short of strength in depth. I expect this once to have a nice wee edge as well, for obvious reasons.

Donegal have unearthed a number of young players with exceptional ability, and if they manage to do even a reasonable damage limitation job on David Clifford, they are more than capable of picking up two more precious league points this Sunday.

Parking in Ballyshannon

There are several very good car parks in town, and on Sunday, the car park at the business park on the Bundoran Road opposite Heatons will also be available.

This is only a seven-minute walk from Fr Tierney Park, and those attending the game can use this facility free of charge.

Earlier this month, the FAI announced the establishment of the Global Ireland Football Foundation, a fundraising entity tasked with attracting investment to improve facilities. 

Back in 2023, the FAI published its strategic analysis and vision for the next 15 years, predicting it required £863m to modernise facilities and standards in this country.

Some years ago, the FAI received grant approval from the Department of Sport to spend €4.7m on the Donegal Community Project in Stranorlar, they also committed another €500k from their own resources, as did Donegal County Council.

For a plethora of reasons, this project has been much delayed. No doubt costs associated with the stadium have escalated hugely since then, so let us hope that this initiative by the FAI brings this saga to a successful conclusion and that we eventually see Finn Harps playing in their new stadium.

Since the FAI published that strategy in 2023, a significant development has taken place for soccer in Ireland with the formation of the new National League beginning in Autumn this year.

The new division of men’s senior football will create a pathway between the grassroots game and the League of Ireland. The good news for Donegal is that Letterkenny Rovers, Bonagee United and Cockhill Celtic have been accepted in the new 15-team National League.

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As the winners of this National League will meet the bottom team from the First Division in 2027, it is not implausible to believe that Donegal could have two teams playing senior soccer, as the three clubs mentioned can win that new league.

Recently, ATU Donegal in Letterkenny received planning permission for a 43-acre complex for the Regional Sports and Activity Hub, which will feature extensive pitches for GAA and Soccer, a 50-metre sprint track, and an indoor dome.

This facility will be located at Knocknamona, will be located close to the Port Road campus, near the IDA business park. Teams will not be allowed to play in the League of Ireland unless their ground has reached minimum National and UEFA standards.

This poses the question: With slight modification, would it be possible to include a fully-fledged League of Ireland stadium in the Letterkenny campus or adjacent to it?

An additional grant to the ATU from the Department of Sport could make this happen.

Waterford United in the Premier Division play at the Waterford Regional Sports Centre, while UCD play at the Belfield campus.

I met Paul McLoone, who was a volunteer on the Donegal Community Stadium project earlier this decade.

Paul worked in partnership with the FAI in securing €5.7m for that development. He said as there is substantial sports capital monies about to be spent in the area, he has written to Charlie McConalogue, the minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, with responsibility for sport and Paul Cooke, President of the FAI, requesting that both organisations work together to consider the feasibility of constructing a League of Ireland ground in the Letterkenny area.

Paul told me that Sligo Rovers are planning an €18m development in the Showgrounds, while Derry City are aiming for a €13.5m development.

To develop in Letterkenny would only cost a fraction of the proposed spend in Sligo and Derry, and that outcome for the young people of Donegal would be enormous.

With the three Finn Harps players Gavin McAteer, Josh Cullen, and Corey Sheridan representing Ireland recently at the Under-17 World Cup, the talent is there.

So this is the time for politicians to work together and ensure that the funding due to Donegal is used in a most positive development.