Mac Ceallabhuí was only six when Naomh Conaill won in 2005

Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí was winning his fourth Donegal senior medal on Sunday when Naomh Conaill defeated Gaoth Dobhair to lift the Dr Maguire. He says it is unbelievable that some of the team were winning their seventh Donegal senior medal.

“Seven finals in-a-row is something special and to win four is unbelievable stuff, four in  five years.

“When the boys started back in 2005 I was only six years old and I was watching the bucks I’m playing with now. I think it is incredible.

“It’s special in the community around Naomh Conaill. They are always backing us, down making food at training; every day they support, they follow us everywhere. It gives us an unbelievable lift. It is something special that Naomh Conaill has. I think it's incredible,” said Mac Ceallabhuí.

On Sunday the Naomh Conaill side had probably their most comfortable final win, with a margin of eight points at the end not flattering them.

And it was all down to a magnificent first half display and Mac Ceallabhuí played his part.

“We had a good start. We definitely didn’t expect to get a start like that, but we came out of the blocks quick.

“It is probably not something that we have done over the last few years. It was a different experience but we’re unbelievably happy.

“At one stage we did make a few bad decisions and some bad mistakes that we might normally make, but maybe it was due to the comfortable position that we were in,” said Mac Ceallabhuí.

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When put to him that those misses and mistakes might have been mentioned at half-time, he quickly replied: “It was, definitely.

“In fairness to Gaoth Dobhair in the second half, they came out swinging. They weren’t going to lie down. We probably didn’t have as much of the ball or as many chances as we had in the first half.”

But even though Gaoth Dobhair got a few scores, Naomh Conaill replied in kind before getting a goal which put them 12 points ahead.

“Ethan (O’Donnell) popped over for Charlie (McGuinness) to palm home. After that it was always going to be tough for them. They were down to 14 men at the start of the second half (with a black card), but in fairness they put it up to us for sure.”

Mac Ceallabhuí is one of only three of the Naomh Conaill panel that are based away from home. He is a student at UCD in Dublin, but he says there is great support from the club for him and for the two players in Limerick, Eunan Doherty and Keelan McGill.

“We train away and we come back as often as we can.”

When put to him that Jim McGuinness was watching proceedings on Sunday and would surely be making ‘phone calls to a big number of the Naomh Conaill panel, Mac Ceallabhuí replies coyly: “Who knows.”