‘I have more time to go after my football and my new job - I’m like a new man’

Life, you feel, is falling into place for Oisin Gallen.

After an excellent club championship for MacCumhaill’s, his local side reached the semi-final stage and, on a personal level, he finished up top scorer with 1-59 to his name over seven outings.

To put that into perspective, that was 22 points in front of the trio that finished in joint-second, Karl Joseph Molloy Ardara from Ardara (4-25), St Naul’s Stephen Griffin (2-31) and Ethan Harkin of Gaoth Dobhair (1-34). Patrick McBrearty from Kilcar was fifth on 1-32 and Glenswilly’s Michael Murphy was next on sixth with 3-22.

“We really enjoyed it and would’ve love to have seen it keep going,” Gallen says of things with MacCumhaill’s. “There was a little bit of momentum building up for us and there was a level of excitement around the town that wasn’t seen in a long time. Everyone is excited to see what next year can bring.

“Down the years at MacCumhaill’s there’s been a bit of a habit of building one year and not following up on it the year, so it’s a matter of keeping things going in the right direction. It’s important we all keep improving and there’s no ceiling for those lads. The thing is, if you want to make an impact in the Donegal championship, you have to start being those top four teams.”

Jim McGuinness was named as Donegal's senior manager in September, returning after nine years with the aim of returning the team to the type of place they occupied in his first term, between 2011 and 2014. Donegal, in that four-year spell, were All-Ireland champions in 2012, three times kings of Ulster and won the Allianz League Division 2 crown.

Gallen, now 23, was gowned up last month as he graduated from Dublin City University, having completed a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Primary School teaching and, since the new year school started, is now working at St Aengus' National School.

“I’m down in Bridgend and loving it,” he says. “It’s brilliant to have that three-hour commute to and from Dublin done with,” he said. “I find I have a lot more spare time to go after my football and after my new job. I feel like a new man.”

Early in the calendar year, Gallen, like many of his DCU and indeed third-level colleagues, were clocking up the miles on the road and the hard yards on the football field.

At the time, between January and March, he was making the trip to Donegal and back twice or even three times a week, training with county and college during Sigerson Cup season, and landing back in the capital around midnight before the early rise for teaching practice and national schools in both Swords and Rushe.

Downings’ Johnny McGroddy, Shane O’Donnell from St Eunan’s, Termon’s Jamie Grant, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride of Gaoth Dobhair were all in similar scenarios.

“It was tough going looking back,” he says. “There no was no real precedence between the teams and you’re expected to show the face and play for all of them. There’s inter-county as well and maybe that was more manageable for lads living in, say, Kildare or Meath, but it was heavy going for Donegal.

“Living in Swords, it wasn’t too bad and it’s kind of on in the way into Dublin. I was living was Enda Hession, the Mayo player, and he was in the same placement and together we shared the troubles! He was in the same boat as me.”

Gallen is spending the autumn catching up with friends and resting up, “doing normal things” as he puts it himself. What lies ahead, just like the supporters of Donegal, brings a sense of excitement to those who will be dining the Donegal jersey in 2024.

“Paddy McBrearty and Hugh McFadden have worked under Jim McGuinness before and for me personally, it was great to hear,” Gallen says of McGuinness’s reappointment. “As I young buck, I adored that team and followed them everywhere. I was only 10 or 11. Marty O’Reilly, who was involved back then and played with MacCumhaill’s, was a hero of mine.

“To get the chance to work under Jim will be really interesting. With the age profile that’s there, everyone is really eager and keen with Jim on board. It might be a little of the unknown, but it’s very exciting.

There’s a good feeling about it and there will be a good structure, whereas last year there was a delay with the managers and whatnot. This time there’s been an early appointment and it’s been dealt with very well, so it gives us a great platform to go and attack the year. It’s about maximising that. We have good players but you have to maximise yourself first of all and under the guidance we have now, we have every chance to give ourselves the chance to do that.”

Although the Allianz League Division 1 fixtures for 2024 have yet to be rubberstamped, it’s been reported that Donegal will open against Cork under lights at MacCumhaill Park. It’s Gallen’s backyard and a place he can call home.

“It’s always great to get into MacCumhaill Park,” Gallen says. “We’re lucky enough to train there once or twice a week with MacCumhaill’s, as well as play there, and it’s always a place I love to play.”