McShea's Say: Sinking Donegal in complete disarray

On my way home from Ballybofey on Sunday after watching Donegal get hammered from Mayo, I had very mixed emotions. 

My mind went back to Clones and last year’s Ulster final when a Derry team - who are currently receiving rave reviews - were two points behind Donegal with eight minutes left on the clock. 

For several reasons, Donegal managed to lose that game and now Derry have gained promotion to Division 1 of the league and Donegal will play their football in the League’s second tier when League football begins again next year.

Watching Donegal’s loyal fans in MacCumhaill Park on Sunday, most of them decked out in their Donegal hats and jerseys, it was difficult to not feel sorry for them as this was a very poor display by the home side. 

With our league future up for grabs to say this was disappointing would be a major understatement. Then on the Sunday Game, RTE’s Tyrone’s Sean Cavanagh spoke about  the behind the scenes turmoil in Donegal football that has reached shambolic levels and has left the county trailing in the wake of top All Ireland sides.

Cavanagh went on to say that he found it baffling  to see people of the expertise of Karl Lacey, Jim McGuinness and Michael Murphy not involved in the county fold at this time, and Cavanagh went on to say, and I quote, “You have to remember how the GAA  is set up, there can be amateurs sitting on committees who are far removed from the high performance culture that exists within the mindset of those type of players”. 

The Irish Times, the Independent and the Cork Examiner have all featured the situation that prevails in Donegal GAA in their publications in recent days. Donegal’s situation at this time is a major disappointment but my mind went back to when as a young player I was first selected to play for the county. 

Back then the county had a large number of top class players. Sean Ferriter, Frankie McFeeley, PJ Flood, Michael McLoone, Sean O’Donnell, John Hannigan and Brian McEniff were regulars on Ulster team’s - a distinction which was on a par with gaining a coveted All Star award before that scheme began in 1971.

But despite the level of quality players at their disposal, Donegal never won even one Ulster title. I have no hesitation in saying that the reason for this lack of success was the wranglings that went on with those charged with selecting Donegal teams in those barren years. 

Looking back, the parochialism that prevailed in those times was incredible. In the Ulster final when Donegal played Down in 1966, the Donegal mentors, in their wisdom, played three players who were clearly carrying injuries and that was a major reason for Donegal losing that game by two points. 

Against Mayo last Sunday it was suggested that Oisin Gallen was carrying an injury and was not fit enough to play. Oisin was introduced at half time but succumbed to injury late in the game. If the suggestion that he was carrying an injury is correct, then the decision to introduce him was extremely flawed. Sport and especially Gaelic games are a great thing to give a sense of identity to a place. 

The county football team is the prism through which many Donegal people see their own identity. The Donegal team jersey has become a marketing phenomenon over the past ten years, and on a championship Sunday it is possible to believe that the green and yellow jersey is the mandatory uniform of the masses.

New county chairman Fergal McGee is more than a little unfortunate to find himself immersed in the very unpalatable situation that prevails in Donegal football at this time. No doubt he will not be looking for my advice but, if he was, I would be urging him to identify those responsible for the dreadful treatment of Karl Lacey and Jim Mc Guinness and dispensing with any input they have with Donegal football.

Joe McBrearty

Joe McBrearty is a top-class Gaelic Games coach and many players in Donegal and in schools, clubs and colleges have had the pleasure of working with the affable Killybegs man. 

Those same lads will tell you they’ve become even better players because of the time they spent working with Joe. He is currently undergoing cancer treatment and has had to step away from his employment and coaching duties at this time. 

His club Killybegs, who rightly hold Joe in such high esteem, have arranged a charity match at their beautiful pitch in Fintra on Saturday next at 3pm. I’m looking forward to getting to Fintra on the day for what will be a very special occasion in support of one of life’s real gentlemen.