Mac's View: Dungloe must give it hell if they are to win

The Donegal senior final is something I’ve really been looking forward to on Sunday next in MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey. I’ve got my tickets and I’m hoping for a good game. 

I just think it is a great pity that the curtain raiser is not the minor final. Especially as the minor final is ready and is being played on Saturday, I believe. It’s between Four Masters and Naomh Conaill and could have been a really good curtainraiser. 

This has been raised many times before in recent years and it’s no disrespect to the reserve teams, but it was traditional for the minor final to be the first game. It could be a great opportunity for young players to get a flavour of what it is like to play on a big occasion and good for those who will go on to play at county level. 

Someone said this week that the Senior reserve final could be played as part of a doubleheader with the Division 2 minor final and that is not a bad idea. 

Anyway, I want to wish all four teams well on Sunday. There is a lot to look forward to and I’m really delighted to see Dungloe back in a county final. It makes the occasion. I have a nephew who is a doctor down there in Dungloe and he was involved with the team for a few years. 

I gather that there is a great buzz building up in Dungloe and has been building for some time. And you would expect that, especially as this will be their first county final appearance since 1964.

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On the other side of the coin, St Eunan’s have a great tradition of playing county finals and they have won 15. They are awesome opponents for Dungloe but anything can happen on the day. 

Dungloe have been building for a couple of years now. They won the Intermediate a few years ago and have been competitive in the championship. And while some might say they came through the easier half of the draw this year, they accounted for Glenswilly and St Michael’s in their last two games. 

Remember Glenswilly came through a similar path almost 20 years ago, winning an Intermediate title and then winning three senior titles. 

I remember we in Bundoran won an Intermediate title in 1977 after St Joseph’s were disbanded and we went on to win a senior title two years later against a fancied Sean MacCumhaill’s side. 

The Intermediate championship is a very good stepping stone for senior ranks. Dungloe are now there in the final on merit and should have nothing to fear. They have to go out on Sunday and give it hell. 

They will have had opportunities to look at how St Eunan’s set-up their strengths and weaknesses. In some ways, the greatest difficulty for the Letterkenny management is to get the best 15 on the field. They are laced with talent, but by the same token, they also have a very good bench when the game is in the melting point coming down the stretch. 

Hopefully, we will have a good crowd at the final. Looking harshly at the game it is hard to look past St Eunan’s, as much as you would like to hope that Dungloe can beat them. I’m sure Dungloe will have plans for the various Eunan’s players. They have a lot of strength in defence and midfield with the Currans and Ryan Connors. Up front, they will have to get a better return. 

But then they have been fit to hold Michael Murphy to a point from play, so we know that their backs can do the business. 

There have been no high scores in the championship in recent games, which is disappointing in one way. 

St Eunan’s have a lot of talent and the O’Donnells can all take a score. They also have the likes of Ciaran Moore and a lot of players with intercounty experience. We will also have two good goalkeepers on view on Sunday in Danny Rodgers and Shaun Patton. 

So good luck to both sets of players and good luck also to our own Ryan Walsh, who will be refereeing his first senior county final. 

Before the county final on Sunday, the St Eunan’s winning team of 1999 will be honoured - the game that will be remembered for Brendan Devenney hitting 0-14, something I doubt we will ever see again.   

OTHER FINALS 

Last Sunday I watched the Leitrim Co final and was quite impressed. Ballinamore and Mohill played out a draw. 

Three has been plenty of interest here in Bundoran in Leitrim and Fermanagh with Melvin Gaels through to the Leitrim Intermediate final while Erne Gaels, under Declan Bonner and our own Paul Brennan, defeating Derrygonnelly Harps by a point to reach another Fermanagh final, where they will meet Enniskillen Gaels. 

Here in Donegal at the weekend, I was hoping that Naomh Columba could put up a better showing against Termon in the Intermediate final after beating Bundoran in the quarter-final. But that Termon team is strong and great credit to the club for all the work they are doing on and off the field and their Ladies are county champions as well. 

It was a bit of a surprise to see Carndonagh defeated by Naomh Padraig, Muff in the junior final. Caolan McColgan, I’m told, had a good game and he is a good player. 

DISAPPOINTING 

I was disappointed to hear after Monday night’s county committee meeting that the medals for Ulster and winning Division 2 League were handed out on Friday night at what is believed to have been a private function.  

That was disappointing for the players and for supporters who would have liked to attend such a function. Indeed, it is a function I would have loved to go to myself just to honour the players and what they achieved in 2024, not just in football, but also in winning the Nickey Rackard Cup in hurling. It was an opportunity missed to get a connection between county teams and supporters. 

I’m told it was brought up at the Co Committee on Monday night and a lot of delegates were not happy. I’m also told that the disbandment of the Dr McKenna Cup was also brought up at the Co Committee. That was another of some bad decisions that have been made by the GAA in recent times. 

But one thing I’m looking forward to on the weekend after the county final is the trial games for the new rules in Croke Park which are being played on an Interprovincial basis on Friday and Saturday, 18th and 19th October. 

Finally, this week my condolences to the Breslin family in Kilcar on the very sad death of Barry Breslin in Australia. May he rest in peace.