Naomh Conaill got exactly what they wanted out of the league - Martin Regan 

Marin Regan insists Naomh Conaill are ‘in it to win it’ when it comes to silverware. 

The Glenties men added the Division 1 league title to the cabinet at Davy Brennan Memorial Park where the Donegal Comortas title already sits. Of course Naomh Conaill also went all the way to the national decider back in June.

But they were just edged out at the Banks by Meath outfit Wolfe Tones. In Ballybofey on Sunday, they did just about enough to defeat St Eunan’s by 0-9 to 1-5. 

“We haven’t won too many league titles in the last few years so it was nice to pick one up,” said Regan after. “There aren’t that many competitions you can win in Donegal at senior level. We’ve always taken the likes of the Comortas and the league serious for that same reason.

“We’ve got plenty out of the league. Logan Quinn is probably the biggest plus. He’s played right the way through. He’s been brilliant. Neil Francis Boyle and Conor Roarty are others that have really stepped it up. We now know that they’ll offer us something in championship”.

Naomh Conaill open the defence of their SFC crown away to Killybegs before renewing acquaintances with St Eunan’s on home soil.  But Sunday’s encounter at MacCumhaill Park will have little bearing on how they plan for all of that. 

“In the greater scheme of things today probably won’t count for too much. Both teams were missing a number of players. But we’ve put out the strongest team we’d available to us. 

“Ciaran Thompson had to pull out because he’s been down with a really bad toothache. Kevin McGettigan was also sick. Odhran (Doherty) twigged his hamstring in training last Thursday night so we just erred on the side of caution. 

“But we went with the strongest XV available to us. It was a game we wanted to win and thankfully we came out the right side of it”. 

Pressed on the weekend’s shadow boxing with their main championship rival, Regan said: “Our complete focus is on Killybegs. We haven’t even talked about St Eunan’s in championship.  We’re away in Fintra and they have a proud tradition up there”.

With no seeding in the last eight, topping your SFC section won’t actually reward you all that much. You’ll get a week’s extra respite but with the last eight set to be paired by way of an open draw, Regan says that has the potential to throw out some real grenades. 

“We’ll just have to see how it pans out. For the last few years maybe the same so-called top teams are ending up in the semi-finals. This might have the potential to open all that up. The preliminary quarter final will add something as well. 

“You could well be out week on week. That could test a squad. We’ll just have to see what that throws up. But for us, right now, it’s just Killybegs”.