Paul O'Loughlin learning on the job and enjoying every minute with the Donegal U-16s

The Donegal U-16s begin their Buncrana Cup campaign this Saturday when they take on Derry in Convoy (12 noon) and for manager, Paul (Pio) O’Loughlin, it is a new role and one he is really enjoying. 

Working with players has been something of a vocation for O’Loughlin but nearly always as a coach with ladies and male footballers. The Belleek native, now a lecturer in South West College in Omagh, played most of his football with Aodh Ruadh, Ballyshannon. 

No stranger to the Donegal underage set-up, O’Loughlin was involved with Academy and also with the County Girls U-16s in recent years. 

This year he was asked to step up as manager at U-16 level and has taken on the role despite also coaching the Aodh Ruadh reserve team. 

“Damien Diver and Declan Bushell had asked me if I would take it on. I would have asked them what was the main aim and they would have said development. And as much as I like competition, what really attracted me to work with young lads was development. 

“I had worked with these lads just before the Academy folded up so I kinda knew who they were and what they were like. And for me, it was a great opportunity. 

“And then with the way things happened, they allowed me to pick my own coaches, which I was delighted with because I had worked with a lot of good coaches over the last number of years, both at ladies' football and with the Academy,” said O’Loughlin, who said his backroom team had just been completed this week. 

“As recently as today, Gary Walsh has agreed to come on board as a goalkeeping coach. We would have struggled to get a goalkeeping coach and we now have an athletic development coach as well, Daniel Devlin, who was working with the U-20s.” 

The others involved include Seán Nancy Gallagher from Gaoth Dobhair and Liam Skelly, who both worked with O’Loughlin with the U-16 girls. “who was with me with U-16 girls. “Liam had always expressed an interest in getting involved, he has come in as a kit man and organises all that sort of thing. 

“Then we have Danny O’Donnell from Naomh Muire, who was involved with this group before it stopped. We have John Joe McGeever from Cloughaneely. I’ve known John Joe for 35 years through football and basketball. Michael Molloy from Kilcar, again someone I would have known for years, a fantastic coach, not just at basketball, but a football coach as well. Aidan Cannon is in charge of Logistics and Kevin Mills is Health and Wellbeing across all the Academy. 

“Kevin is brilliant working with young fellas who might be struggling. Obviously, these kids went through a tough time with Covid and missed out on quite a bit. Kevin is always there on the end of a phone line or speaks to them personally. 

“Stuart McFadden, manager of the AVS All-Ireland winning team, is our Stats man, and Darren Curran from  Dungloe, brother of county player Mark, is our physio. 

“They are the backbone of all of this. I’m there to help and guide and manage, which to me is a challenge because my go-to would be always to coach. I know I have to stand back from that role and do the other jobs and I’m learning that as I go along.”  

When speaking to O’Loughlin, he was planning the 23rd session with the players for Wednesday night. Over 60 players have been involved in trials and challenge games and that has been cut back to 42. 

“It has been a huge learning curve for me. The last time I would have actually managed a team was the Donegal Ladies back in 1994. Up to recently it has been coaching. I was involved in coaching for a year up in Derry with Claudy but you always want to get back home. 

“I’ve had huge support from clubs around the county. Even Martin McHugh would have given me some information on players that were worth looking at. When Martin recommends somebody, you know they’re not far away from what you are looking for. 

“The support from the County Board has been unreal. We went through a rough period last year but we have now got a bounce of the fact that Jim (McGuinness) has come in. 

“The fact that those guys are training nights we’re training, young fellas have something to look up to, maybe an Ulster final to go to. It certainly makes the job very enjoyable,” said O’Loughlin, who says despite the fact that he is Fermanagh born and living in Derry, every time he drives through the gates at Convoy he feels it is a fantastic place to come and train. 

“There’s a great feeling there with groups from U-13 up to that senior team. It’s just a fantastic feeling. 

“Sometimes I wonder who gets the most out of it, the young fellas or the coaches. Our main job is to send them back to the clubs as better footballers and better people.”

But even though the development of the players is the main focus, the upcoming games against Derry on Saturday and then two away games against Dublin and Monaghan (before July 13th) will be competitive. 

“The natural instinct of players is to win matches. You play challenge matches and you say the score doesn’t matter, but it does to them.” 

As for starting with Derry, the fact that O’Loughlin is living in that county will bring its own edge. 

“There will be an edge. Then there’s my wife, Tess. She was wearing the Derry jersey in Celtic Park (for the Derry-Donegal game) and the children were all wearing Donegal jerseys. 

“I’ve always wanted to win, whether that be a good thing or bad thing. It’s in your nature.” 

After the three games in the group, depending on where you finish, every team will go into a semi-final and possibly a final, which means that teams will get a minimum of four games. 

“We already played Derry up in Owenbeg and it was a tight, close match. They have a style of play and we have tried to develop our style, maybe looking to the future, when lads go into a senior squad at some stage.” 

With the U-17s still involved in the Ulster championship, there is a downside as five U-16s are involved with Barry Ward’s minors. But with the two managers being former teammates, they keep in contact and co-operate with each other. 

“We will be hoping that Barry and the minors go well in the championship and unfortunately that will not be good news for us,” said O’Loughlin, who said that they are happy to get two of the five for the weekend.