Dan Doohan: 'For Cloughaneely, at the moment it's about survival'

Cloughaneely manager Dan Doohan is well aware that, for his side, this 2024 senior championship campaign is all about survival. 

It was a hard watch for Cloughaneely supporters last Saturday evening when the Gaeltacht men were turned over by the reigning county champions Naomh Conaill on their home patch on a 3-14 to 0-4 scoreline. 

It has not been a straightforward season for Doohan’s side, with a number of players absent through travelling and immigration, while county player Jason McGee is out through injury sustained early in the inter-county season. 

Cloughaneely just about survived in Division 2, winning a promotion/relegation play-off against Naomh Bríd last month, but the main aim now for the boys in blue and white is about staying in the senior championship and building for the future.  

“You know you could look at it in two ways, you can say we’re building, but we’re also not building, because we’re relying on a lot of older guys to keep things going,” said Doohan. 

“Numbers as of late are so tight and in that, we’ve lost a great number of that middle core group from 22- to 28-year-olds. We’ve just been killed with immigration in the last few years. 

“Boys are in Australia and in America, and then of course it can be a big ask at this level when you don’t have Jason (McGee) fit or available. Like the bottom line is, we’re struggling on the field because we don’t have numbers.” 

Doohan doesn’t deny that this season has been particularly difficult with the lack of younger players coming through but is determined to stay positive and keep his head above water. 

“Like in Cloughaneely we’re always going to struggle with numbers but this season has probably been the hardest because we have lads that are getting on in their years but they’re still the lads keeping us going, and unfortunately there’s nobody to take their place at the minute,” he said. 

“For now, we’re just going to have to wait for the minors to come through, but even in that, it’s hard, because there’s no guarantee that these boys are going to stay put when they’re in the 20s either.  

“You might take time and build a team for two years and then that group could be gone, and that’s where we are at the moment. 

“I don’t know, it might be easier in places like Naomh Conaill where you might be guaranteed a county final spot, but up here it’s about surviving and trying to stay in the senior championship and that’s where we’re at for now.”