Patience finally paying off for Mark Curran

Mark Curran has had to bide his time but there is no doubt, even prior to Donegal’s stunning win over Monaghan, that the Dungloe man could be jotted down as one of 2023’s real successes.

In a season that had, up until the last few weeks really, delivered very little, Curran’s efforts in the corner of defence have remained relatively unblemished.

Given the turmoil that’s engulfed Donegal GAA in the last while and the injuries and drop offs that has robbed the side of some significant regulars; the door suddenly became ajar for others.

In Curran's instance he was only promoted to the senior inter-county ranks last season. But at 24-years-of-age, and given the manner in which he's acquitted himself this term you have to wonder just how and why it took so long?

Curran quietly goes about his business but there has to be a large degree of personal satisfaction buried underneath all of that regarding his current form.

“I’m loving it,” he says on his elevation to the starting line-up this season. “And I know it hasn’t all been smooth sailing but I’m loving getting the gametime and getting the minutes. It’s a huge step up at this level. And it can be a steep learning curve.

“But a lot of what we’ve been working on has slowly started coming together these past few weeks and I hope the supporters enjoyed that there this evening.

“It ticked a good few boxes for ourselves in terms of what we wanted to get out of it. We’ve slowly improved every game of this All-Ireland championship. There were some huge pluses we can take from that but there are also things we can look back on and look to improve”.

Curran explains that Donegal came to sunny Omagh last Saturday with a gameplan but, given the stiff breeze they’d kick with in the opening period, that was slightly tweaked.

“We wanted to get a good start before coming here and that even changed somewhat once you got out there and saw that there was a breeze. It’s a really warm evening but the wind was a factor in both halves.

“So the aim sort of changed to ‘we need to be in the lead at half-time and we need perhaps a cushion’. I think we eventually went in with a four-point advantage, having kicked 13 points. That was a really encouraging return.

“Even then, you’re wondering if that’s enough? We knew it wasn’t so the start we made to the second-half, it was a huge factor. We won the throw in which laid a sort of marker, fair play to big Caolan (McGonagle).

“But we also posted the first two points which put us out to six in front. It was a significant spell. They came back at us and put us under serious pressure. We’d to up the ante as well as the workrate.

“Like, the yards and effort that went in in that second-half, it was just brilliant”.

Passing the 50 minute mark and 0-17 to 0-11 in arrears, Monaghan made their move. Jack McCarron rattled off a trio of overs and the gap closed back to just a goal.

But the likes of Jamie Brennan and Shaun Patton especially, from frees, were able to relieve some of the tension down the home straight.

“Monaghan got it back to two points at 0-18 to 0-16 as well. But Shaun’s (Patton) free, into that swirling wind, it was just fantastic. Again, there were another few minutes added but we just dug in as best we could. We deserved to win and I’m just glad that we did.

“We’d a disappointing league - and we can’t shy away from that. We didn’t get the job done in Newry and it was another real blow. But like I said, we’ve worked so hard in the time in between.

“The buzz is back, there is a spring there once again. You’re looking forward to training and the games. And listen, MacCumhaill Park, a home tie up next, that’s a huge reward for this win.

“You can see the support here today. And I’m sure now that will be even better next weekend”.