Mac's View: The GAA family have been very supportive during a difficult few weeks

First of all this week I want to convey my thanks for the great support the family has received over the last few weeks. It has been a very difficult time due to the untimely death of my grandson Jarlath Ruane. Jarlath was not into football but he was an outstanding athlete and a very nice boy. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

The support from the great GAA family was especially appreciated and will always be remembered.

A lot has happened in the past few weeks but Donegal have remained unbeaten and on track. First of all we had the Armagh game in the Athletic Grounds and we got a very well deserved draw. People were  tipping Armagh as Ulster finalists and possible Ulster champions, but I don’t see anything new about them.

I would have no fear of them were we to meet them again down the road in the championship.

As regards the Louth game in Ballyshannon, that was a much tighter affair. Louth are a well organised side and we got a fortuitous goal which left the margin at the finish five points. But in reality it was really a two point game.

Still a win is a win and it sets up nicely for promotion as we travel to play Kildare in Carlow this weekend.

What I would say about Kildare, and I have a daughter living there, they may have no points on the board, but they have a lad at full-forward, Flynn, who can be very dangerous. He is the type of player who plays in spasms but he will need watching.

They have plenty of very nice players and that might be their downfall, sometimes they are too nice.

I won’t be telling Jim (McGuinness) how to suck eggs. But for this game I would not underestimate Kildare. But it would be nice to be home and hosed after Saturday evening.

That would give the management the chance to relax and use the following two games, at home to Meath and a League final, to experiment. Meath are not a bad side and they have come on under Colm O’Rourke and that would be another good test for Donegal.

We were without our full-back Brendan McCole for the Louth game and hopefully he will not be out for too long. I’m told he has a damaged toe but he should be available soon again.

His absence forced Jim to make changes for Louth and try different options. We had the Letterkenny lad Ciaran Moore at full-back, and he is the find of the season.

We had Peadar Mogan playing corner-back and that was something new as well. Caolan McGonagle continues to excel at centre-back and has a huge physical presence there.

Still, we will need everybody back soon as the championship is not far away. The likes of Eobhan Bán Gallagher and Jason McGee are important players, as are Niall O’Donnell and the Carndonagh lad Conor O’Donnell.

Anyway, I wish them luck this Saturday against Kildare and I would urge Donegal not to take them for granted.
https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1447731/the-second-coming-for-shaun-paul-barrett-as-he-returns-to-the-donegal-sideline.html

Congratulations to Mickey McCann and the hurlers who had a good win in Roscommon last weekend and are on track. Good luck to them this Sunday as they host London in Letterkenny.

Good luck also to the Ladies, who travel to  Cavan this week. It might not be a great season but they are in transition at the moment.

I have to say congratulations to the Abbey Vocational School, Donegal Town and our own Jamie Brennan on the magnificent achievement of winning an All-Ireland schools’ title last Saturday in Clones. All-Ireland titles don’t come to Donegal too often. Congratulations also to the clubs involved, Four Masters, Naomh Brid and St Naul’s.

It is over 40 years since this was achieved before with St Eunan's and De La Salle winning in 1979 and 1980, and that was a forerunner for some great success at senior level for Donegal with many fine players coming through. Hopefully, the same can happen after Abbey's win.

The minors also won their first match and are wished well for the rest of the season, are the U-20s who begin their campaign this week.

Finally, this week my sympathies to the Quinn family of Ballyshannon and Castleknock, Dublin, on the passing of Thomas Quinn, with whom I soldiered at club and county level.

Thomas was one of nature’s gentlemen. A very fine footballer, he could play half-forward or half-back. He used to come on holidays to the Great Northern every summer and many’s a session we had late into the night with him singing ‘Cuttin’ the Corn in Creeslough today’.

Thomas was a fine servant to Aodh Ruadh, St Joseph’s and Donegal and was also involved with St Brigid’s in Dublin. He was buried in Lisdoonvarna. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell