Another Boston GAA championship title for Jason Noctor and Donegal Boston

The Donegal senior championship might have only started, but last weekend in Boston saw the conclusion of the football season with Donegal Boston winning the championship with Killybegs man Jason Noctor claiming the Man of the Match award in the final. 

Nine years after clinching his first Boston title, the Killybegs half-back and former inter-county player has now won his sixth championship in the US, defeating Connemara Gaels in the Senior final at the weekend. 

“Yeah, I’m very happy with the result, we pulled away early on and from there we kept the foot on the gas and then it was about seeing out the game, which we did,” said Noctor following his side’s 1-19 to 0-11 point win. 

Now at 35, it’s been a long road for the Donegal man who overcame serious injuries down through the years as he credits his teammates and managers for guiding him through those turbulent times. 

“I think a lot of credit has to go to the club. When my ACL injury happened, I was 30 years old and I was thinking that might be it for me, I was happy with my two championship titles at that point,” he said. 

“But the management got me on the phone and told me that I could overcome this injury, then Covid-19 happened and that gave me an extra bit of time to go away and get my ACL sorted and get it done right. 

“I think when you mix that with being able to play with great teams, a great homebase, a great management, and a great club. Not much of it was down to me, these wins were really about me playing with great people around me.” 

Alongside fellow Donegal men Hugh Boyle in goals, who has been present on the Donegal Boston team since 2017, and Cory Gallagher, who stared at half-back at the weekend, Noctor admits any one of his teammates could’ve won the Man of the Match award and jokes that he may have only got it on the basis that it could be his last outing on a GAA field. 

“Like I said, I’ve been very fortunate to play with some ridiculous players down through the years. Again, this year . . . I don’t know, I feel like me winning the Man of the Match feels like a bit of a robbery considering Daire Cregg scored 10 points in the final, but it might be a bit of a token vote considering all the years I’ve played, and it might be my last one,” he said.