Kerry already looming on the horizon - Paddy McBrearty 

Paddy McBrearty admits that a tighter knitted inter-county season means that Donegal’s attention is already drifting towards their NFL opener against All-Ireland champions Kerry.

Paddy Carr got his new rein off the mark with a 2-14 to 1-10 loss away to Down in Newry. College and club commitments means his squad is already stretched close to its limit. 

So you believe experienced campaigner McBrearty when he explains there is a bigger picture to what Carr is currently trying to blend together. Nine fresh faces were given their debut at Pairc Esler. And McBrearty admits many of those baptisms were right in at the deep end. 

“It’s the first outing of the year, as a team,” he explained. “And the truth is, for a number of reasons, we’re down a lot of bodies. To be fair to the lads that came in, they’ve put in huge shifts over November and December so they deserved their taste of action. 

“A good few lads made their debuts and that’s a positive to take. But we’ll not dwell on it, we’ll quickly move on to Wednesday night. It’s another opportunity to make improvements, give lads minutes at this level. 

“It’s a tight window, the McKenna Cup. Kerry, and the start of the NFL is looming on the horizon. So it’s important we try to get as much out of these games as possible.

“We started the second-half with Domhnaill Mac Giolla Bhride and Ryan McFadden in the middle of the field. Those are two young lads, debutants. So, again, it’s the bigger picture perhaps that’s most important.” 

McBrearty - who burst on the intercounty scene as a 17-year-old back in 2011 - says the game has moved on so much in the last decade that that kind of step up isn’t as seamlessly made in the modern game. 

“It’s all a learning process for these lads. And even training at this level now, it’s such a step up and it takes some getting used to. At club level, they are probably used to that split second of extra time or that extra yard of space.

“Sometimes you have to learn the hard way, in at the deep end, but that can be a good thing as well. But these lads have long careers ahead of them and it’s great so many have now started all of that. Yeah, it’s frustrating not to get the win but we’ll move on to Wednesday right away”.  

In terms of those absent against Down, boss Carr didn’t elaborate on who was injured or who was simply just given some extra time off. McBrearty was similarly coy but he did say that with the Kingdom set to come to Ballybofey on January 29, the race is on to get as many of the side’s experienced campaigners back in the mix as quickly as possible.  

“We’ve a lot of bodies there in the gym at Convoy, we need to get them right and you can’t rush that type of thing. We had a few lads down with the flu and there are lads missing because of the colleges clash. 

“So there is quite a large chunk of options to come back in. Like I said, Kerry are only a matter of weeks out so it’s important that we get as many of those that are unavailable available and back in contention. But we’ve a brilliant medical team and they’ll look after that”.

One experienced body back in contention is MacCumhaills’ Marty O’Reilly who was sprung as a second-half substitute. O’Reilly hadn’t featured for Donegal since 2019. But McBrearty says his talent as well as his voice, can be a huge asset for the team in 2023.  

“Marty worked with Aidan (O’Rourke) at Queens so it probably was an obvious approach for the management to make. Marty has got himself in super shape and it’s a really good option, an experienced one as well. It’s great having him back involved”.