Naomh Conaill new breed driving this, we're along for the ride - Brendan McDyer

Brendan McDyer, along with Anthony Thompson, Leo McLoone, Marty Boyle and Eoin Waide, joined an elite club in Donegal championship football following this latest SFC win.

Playing in their seventh senior final in a row, the five all picked up their seventh medal following their comfortable 1-16 to 1-8 win over Gaoth Dobhair in MacCumhaill Park on Sunday. 

But he insisted afterwards this team is no longer about the seven-time winners. The story he says has moved on and the bus is now been driven by a different crew. 

“There is a lot been said about the older brigade like me, Tony (Thompson), Leo (McLoone), Eoin (Waide)and Marty (Boyle),” he said afterwards.

“It is the young lads that set the standard and it is up to us to come up to that standard. If we don’t come up to it we don’t make the team, it is as simple as that.

“It is the younger bracket that is driving the standards and the levels. It is their team. 

“I know we have picked up a few more championships than they have but they are the standard bearers and we are just delighted to be a part of it. They are the real driving force behind it.”

Reflecting on this latest triumph, he feels Naomh Conaill's lightning start, where they went five up, paved the way for title number seven.  

“We worked really hard over the last two weeks at keeping our focus and keeping the heads down.

“We knew what Gaoth Dobhair were going to throw at it. It was more about working on the mental aspect rather than on the physical side of our preparations

“We knew from the first ball or two and the first kick out that we were on our game. We kicked a couple of early points and that set us up”.

Naomh Conaill completely dominated the opening half and with seven different scorers by half-time, they were in a good place on a score of 0-9 to 0-2. 

“It was comfortable. But then again the challenge was to keep it going in the second half and kick on.

“We knew they were always going to throw hell and thunder at us in the second half. 

“So the matter for us was, could we deal with it and chip over the next couple of scores and thankfully that is what we did”.

The veteran wing forward also acknowledges the game has gone through many changes since that first breakthrough championship, in 2005. 

“The game has changed so much down the years and we have adopted new ways. 

“The game has even changed a lot since 2019 and credit must go the the management for that. 

“They are always adapting and always evolving. Every year there are always tweaks to be made and we are just moving with the game as it evolves.”

These are indeed heady times for Naomh Conail but that was not always the case and, pre-2005, what has now been achieved was all but a pipe dream.       

“As a young fella growing up I went to Fintra and Towney places like that and Kentucky and saw a lot of championship games. 

“Glenties always seemed to be unlucky and the semi-final or the quarter-final was always the pinnacle of the championship for us.

“But I suppose coming through the underage ranks with Martin Regan Snr, we had good success and the belief was always there that we could one day go on and win the senior championship.

“We won the U-12 championship, lost U-14 and U-16 finals and then won minor and a number of U-21s. 

“At that time, mentally, we felt we were as good as anyone in the county and we brought that belief into senior ranks when we moved up.

“Winning the 2005 championship was a big breakthrough for the club and it was no more than we deserved given the amount of effort that goes on in the club, both on and off the field.

That 2005 team was managed by Hughie Molloy and coached by Jim McGuinness and Jim publicly stated at the time that the win had come well ahead of schedule.

“Jim was right, 2005 did come early in our careers. But at the same time, it was good to surprise everyone. 

"It was good in that it set the template for what was required to win a championship and what you needed to do to push on in the senior ranks.

“We are delighted to be on top of the pile again and we intend to stay there given the amount of young players that are coming through in the club.”