ATU Donegal begin Freshers with Barrett saying preparations were 'a disaster'

Manager Luke Barrett says the preparation for the Electric Ireland HE GAA Freshers Football Championship has “been a disaster” with so much football in January.

ATU Donegal get their campaign underway tonight, Thursday, with a home fixture at the Donegal GAA Centre in Convoy, 7pm. University of Galway are the opposition and the game is the first of three in the opening round of the championship and the Letterkenny students’ only home tie. They are away to ATU Sligo and then, at a neutral venue, face ATU Galway/Mayo.

ATU Donegal will see action over the next three Thursday nights as the championship is run off. The top team then qualifies for the knock-out stages of the competition.

“It is good this year that we are in a different group to last season when the groups for the league and championship were the same,” says ATU Donegal manager Luke Barrett.

The Milford clubman who also doubles the Donegal minor is in his second season guiding the fortunes of ATU Donegal’s Freshers.

“This year the lads are going to get the opportunity of playing against new teams and selections they have not faced before, which is good,” Barrett added.

ATU Donegal played Queens, Belfast, UUJ and St Mary’s College Belfast, in the league. “We won one, lost one and drew one,” Barrett said. “We had a good win over Queens, drew with St Mary’s and lost away to Jordanstown. That was before Christmas and we got a good bit of work done for it. But the preparations for the championship have been a disaster.

“Between the U-21 club championship and a number of lads drafted into the county squad, we’ve got nothing done at all. Besides, the lads are only back at college this week. So really we haven’t got anything done in terms of preparations and it is a matter of getting going. Hopefully we will get some work done over the next couple weeks.”

Just like the ATU Donegal’s Sigerson Cup panel - which has 30 locals from 33 players - the bulk of this year's Freshers squad is made up of players from Donegal.

“We have a few lads from down the country but the rest are all from Donegal. Players that have been in the county development squad for a number of years and who played county U16 and county minor,” Barrett said.

Luke McGlynn from Glenfin - the former Donegal minor captain under Barrett, who scored a penalty against Monaghan last night in the 0-15 to 2-7 loss in the Dr McKenna Cup - is a big part of the Freshers panel.

ATU Donegal panel: Eoin McGettigan (Milford), Jake Kelly (Glenswilly), SeanBreen (Sean MacCumhaill’s), Cian Mulligan (Sean MacCumhaill’s), Oisin Caulfield (Na Rossa), Kyle Murray (Aodh Ruadh), Cian McEntee (GaothDobhair), Eoghan McLaughlin (Moville), Noel O’Donnell (St Eunan’s) Cormac McColgan (Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin), Cathal McGeever (Cloghaneely), Owen Doherty (Mayo), Luke McGlynn (Glenfin), Michael Callaghan (Naomh Columba), Oisin Flynn (Longford), Oran Craig (Cloghaneely), Patrick Trevon (Cavan), Oisin McDaid (Glenswilly), Conor Diver (Dungloe), Denis McHugh (Tyrone), Aaron Reilly (Monaghan), Eoin Murphy (Mayo) Aidan McKenna (Emyvale, Monaghan), Daragh McPhilips (Louth), James Doherty (Red Hughs), Oisin Kelly (Tyrone), Niall Sweeney (St Mary’s, Convoy), Lee McCabe (St Naul’s), Joey Greene (Meath), Cian McMonagle (St Eunan’s).