Former Donegal star Brendan Devenney picks his "Best 15" from the county during his playing days

Brendan Devenney was one of Donegal’s most explosive talents and he played with some really great players who were unlucky to come against really superb Armagh and Tyrone teams. Some of these players were among Donegal’s finest and it was a tough call for Brendan, but the team he has picked as the best he had played with is a really formidable outfit and quite rightly includes the man himself. Gerry McLaughlin got the verdict from Devenney and outlined the qualities of the players selected.

Devenney’s Dream Time of his time - ‘The Best 15 I played with’

1. Tony Blake (St Eunan’s): Tony was also a very good soccer goalkeeper and had a good spell with Sligo Rovers. He was called into the county senior panel in 1991 by Brian McEniff, but he did not come back to the Gaelic until 1998 where he made his name as a great shot stopper and a very accurate long kick out and he won a Railway Cup medal in 2000 and was a really safe pair of hands before injury forced him to retire in 2004.

Tony was also a key figure for St Eunan’s for many years, and those laser like accurate kickouts were a key part of their outstanding success.

2. Karl Lacey (Four Masters): Arguably Donegal’s greatest ever defender, picking up a record four All Stars in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2012 when he was Player Of The Year, and is one of the most outstanding players to ever pull on the green and gold.

Karl is Donegal’s most decorated player, started as a man marker and became the best in the land and matured into a great playmaker who was at the heart of all that was good about Donegal. He played in 41 consecutive championship games for his county from 2004 to 2013….and we will never forget that brilliant diagonal ball into Michael Murphy that gave Donegal the vital early goal against Mayo in the All-Ireland final 2012….different class.

3. Neil McGee (Gaoth Dobhair): He may be coming up on 35 but you would still need to be well insured to come within six feet of him….Neil is still Donegal’s greatest gladiator and always thrives in the heat of battle.

Following in the great mould of Gaoth Dobhair defenders, the Gaeltacht Colossus has three All Stars won in 2011, 2012 and 2014.

McGee is not just a great defender, he also has the ability to join in attack at pace and score at the other end of the field…probably Donegal’s best ever No 3 and a man of ferocious drive and ambition.

4. Eamon McGee (Gaoth Dobhair): Neil’s big brother Eamon is one of the most gifted, quixotic characters, who is a philosopher at heart, has tasted life through the teeth, and survived.

One of the greatest mysteries is why Eamon never won an All Star as he marked some of the greatest forwards in the game, like Ciaran Donaghy of Kerry and did very well.

But, the elder McGee was much more than a man marker, he was a most talented player, with superb touch, vision and his positional sense was uncanny in a languid graceful style.

Off the field he is always interesting, provocative, colourful and is becoming a highly regarded columnist, but Eamon, who has seen the two days, is a real star on and off the field.

5. Damian Diver (Ardara): When you talk of leaders, there was none better for Donegal than the dark curly haired Ardara man.

Near enough was never good enough for this superbly fit, whole- hearted player who could man mark, make the vital tackle, block and score when it was needed most.

He was a great half-back, could size up a situation in a heartbeat and his versatility meant he could be played almost anywhere on the field.

And while he was one of Donegal's finest defenders, he was a massive force for his club Ardara in winning a county championship in 2000 when they beat St Eunan’s who were the hottest of favourites.

Diver drove his club to victory and again in 2004 just as he inspired his county colleagues by his selfless example.

6. Noel Hegarty (Naomh Columba): Noel was coming near the end of his illustrious career when Brendan Devenney hooked up with him, having won an All-Ireland with Donegal at corner back in 1992 when he was corner back.

But the long and rangy Hegarty could play anywhere and was one of the best men to ever carry a ball and then score in Donegal club football, an attacking defender with great ball skills and the natural power of a cruising Mercedes and a real natural footballer.

Hegarty always believed in building attacks from deep in defence and was ahead of his time in this respect and centre back would be an ideal vehicle for his natural talents.

7. Kevin Cassidy (Gaoth Dobhair): In Shakespearean terms he will always be Banquo the ghost to Jim McGuinness’s Macbeth, for Cass will always haunt that great team of McGuinness’s in 2012..if only by his absence..and he should have been there.

He is our own version of Paudie O’Shea, won an All Star in 2002 and again in 2011, his last year, and he was named by the Irish Independent in 2012 on Donegal’s greatest team of the past 50 years.

Cass was a great attacking wing back, with a mighty spring for a ball and a great ability to kick points when they were needed especially the epic winner against Kildare in the gathering gloom of Croke Park in 2011…one of the county’s greatest warriors and superb in Gaoth Dobairs’ Ulster club title win in 2019 at full-forward.

8. Neil Gallagher (Glenswilly): Those who know say that the exhibition of high fielding given by “Big Neil” Gallagher in the All-Ireland Quarter-Final against Kerry and in the semi-final against Cork especially were just exceptional and truly inspirational in 2012.

Neil was a vital cog in that great All-Ireland victory of 2012, a great high fielder but also a very clever distributor of the ball as his game developed under Jim McGuinness.

He was a real leader and captained Donegal to a NFL title in 2007.

But his game improved vastly in later years and he won an All Star in 2012 and 2014 and they were richly deserved for a man who was also a great leader for Glenswilly.

9. John Gildea (Naomh Conaill): One of Donegal#s and Naomh Conaill’s greatest generals.

Off the field John Gildea is affable and eloquent and he was a very intelligent midfielder for Donegal in the enigmatic Noughties.

He partnered his clubmate Jim McGuinness in midfield for the county, had a great spring for the ball and could attack defences at great pace.

Like Brendan Devenney John Gildea experienced many disappointing days but he was always fit and focused, a powerhouse going forward and could also pop up with a vital score.

And he was the heartbeat of that famous Naomh Conaill side that won their first ever county title by beating St Eunan’s in the 2005 final.

10. Rory Kavanagh (St Eunan’s): Easily one of the most versatile and athletic players to ever represent his county.

It took a while for Rory to get established, but when he did, he became a very gifted attacking wing forward with great pace, was very comfortable on the ball with an ability to point from various angles.

And he made a huge transformation under Jim McGuinness when he bulked up to become a powerful midfield partner to Neil Gallagher which gave Donegal a whole new and badly needed dimension.

He is still very lively and very youthful and was at the heart of over half a dozen county championships for St Eunan’s and is one of Donegal’s true greats

11. Michael Hegarty (Kilcar): One of the most graceful and gifted of them all and he was playing a key role for Kilcar seniors up until his 41st year recently.

Like his contemporary Kevin Cassidy, Hegarty was very unlucky not to get an All-Ireland medal.

Sadly, he retired from the inter county scene in 2011 and contemporaries like Neil Gallagher, Christy Toye, Rory Kavanagh, Neil McGee, Eamon McGee, Karl Lacey were among those who got the ultimate gong.

“Higgs” made his debut in 1999 with a superb point against Armagh, moved like a panther, had superb balance, vision and could finish as well and gave outstanding service to Kilcar as well.

12. Christy Toye (St Michael’s): The tall, towering St Michael’s man was one of the county’s best ever ball carriers and he seldom lost possession.

Burst on the scene in 2002 and was always equally at home in midfield or wing forward.

But among his greatest attributes was his deadly finishing and ability to score a goal just when his county needed it most, just think of those great strikes in 2003 against Armagh in the All-Ireland semi-final and against Kildare in that epic All-Ireland Quarter-Final in 2011.

Christy is a great battle as he has also overcome serious illness and injury to continue to play the game at which he excels.

13. Adrian Sweeney (Dungloe): Another true great who certainly deserved an All-Ireland medal for “Eddie” was a superb ball winner and marksman in the Noughties.

Unfortunately, he and his talented comrades ran into quality and better organised Armagh and Tyrone sides as Tir Conaill supped sorrow from the rusty spoon of defeat.

In 2002 he and Brendan Devenney were a lethal inside combination that should have beaten Dublin in Croke Park in the drawn All-Ireland Quarter-Final.

“Eddie” had a unique way of striking the ball over his shoulder with deadly accuracy and he was always very hard to block-for on his day, this most unselfish of players was…. unmarkable and was a very worthy All-Star winner in 2003

14. Tony Boyle (Dungloe): One of the county’s most gifted full forwards ever, with the reflexes of a cat and an ability to open defences in a heartbeat and could also score.

Brian McEniff gave him his debut in 1990 and he quickly became a fulcrum of the attack and was very important in that great first All-Ireland victory in 1992.

Tony had a unique way of sliding into the ball on the ground and then turning on a sixpence to leave defenders clutching air and once he had possession, he did not lose the ball.

A wonderful natural talent who was unique in his style and sheer quality and he was a worthy All Star winner in 1992.

15. Brendan Devenney (St Eunan’s): You just could not leave this unique guy off this fabulous forward line. The great Michael Murphy named him as his “hero”.

But there was always something epic about this mercurial genius who could cut through defences like a rattlesnake at a tablecloth with his ferocious power and pace and supreme ball skills.

Devenney could mix it with the best and showed it in the Aussie Rules test in 2001 when he finished top scorer and his feat of scoring 0-14 in the county final for St Eunan’s against Aodh Ruadh in 1999 will probably never be equalled.

But that was Devenney always and still is flat to the mat, an effervescent character who shoots from the hip…..and the heart.