Four championship debuts as Donegal name team for Cavan in Ulster opener

Donegal suffered relegation from Division 1 of the Lidl National League, after contesting the 2022 final and open their Ulster LGFA Senior Championship against Cavan at Breffni Park on Sunday.

Claire Friel from Gaeil Fhánada makes her Donegal championship debut in goals, while MacCumhaill's pair Abigail Temple Asokuh and Katie Dowds make first starts, as does Ciara McGarvey from Termon.

Donegal lost out late in extra-time against Armagh in the 2022 TG4 Ulster Final but went all the way to the TG4 All-Ireland semi-finals, where they fell to eventual winners Meath.

From the team that lined out that day last July at Croke Park, Roisin McCafferty, Evelyn McGinley, Tanya Kennedy, Deirdre Foley, Niamh Hegarty, Yvonne Bonner and Geraldine McLaughlin are not part of this week's starting side. Cavan steered clear of any relegation worries in Division 2 of the Lidl National League, and also collected three victories along the way.

Given the fortunes of Donegal to date in 2023, Cavan may fancy their chances in this one. There’s a round-robin system in operation in the province, with Armagh the other side in the group. They travel to Donegal in the second weekend of fixtures.

Donegal: Claire Friel (Gaeil Fhánada); Niamh Carr (Milford), Abigail Temple Asokuh (MacCumhaill's), Nicole McLaughlin (Termon); Amy Boyle Carr (Naomh Conaill), Shannon McGroddy (Downings), Tara Hegarty (Moville); Shelly Twohig (St Mary's, Convoy), Niamh McLaughlin (Moville); Roisin Rodgers (Naomh Muire), Katie Long (Glenfin), Katy Dowds (MacCumhaill's); Emer Gallagher (Termon), Katy Herron (Glenfin), Ciara McGarvey (Termon).

Cavan: Roisin O’Reilly; G Faulkner, S Lynch, C Charters; Z Fay, N Byrd (capt.), Rebecca O’Reilly; C Finnegan, A Cahill; D Lynch, A Gilsenan, A Walls; L McVeety, A Sheridan, G Smith.