Donegal ladies team for Division 1A opener against Galway has been named

Donegal senior ladies manager Maxi Curran has named his team to face Galway in Division 1A of the Lidl NFL.

On Saturday evening, the TG4 cameras are in Ballybofey for the game (7.30pm). 

Donegal were semi-finalists last year and will quietly fancy their chances of getting out of a group that also contains Galway, Mayo and Westmeath.

In 2021, Donegal progressed to the semi-finals last year but lost out to Cork, who were then defeated by Dublin in the Final. 

TG4 All Star Geraldine McLaughlin is a proven score-getting in the Donegal attack, with Karen Guthrie providing more experience in that inside line. 

McLaughlin spearheads the Donegal attack with captain Niamh McLaughlin at centre-foward.

Mayo native Feena McManamon, a Letterkenny-based Garda, has been named in the half-back line.

Donegal had the upper hand when the sides met in the League last year, but Galway had their revenge in the group stages of the TG4 Championship. 

Galway have Maghnus Breathnach and Declan Beirne looking after team affairs as the county seeks a successor to senior team manager Gerry Fahy, who stepped down recently. 

None of the Kilkerrin-Clonberne players are included in the Galway set-up for this one as they savour their recent club success.

Donegal (v Galway): R McCafferty; S McFadden, E McGinley, N Boyle; N Carr, F McManamon, T Hegarty; Nicole McLaughlin, R Rodgers; S White, Niamh McLaughlin (capt.), S Twohig; B McLaughlin, K Guthrie, G McLaughlin. 

Galway (v Donegal): A Griffin; S Molloy, E Gavin, A Ní Cheallaigh; K Geraghty, C Cooney, F Cooney; A Davoren, S Ní Loingsigh; L Coen, M Seoighe (capt.), L Finnegan; A O’Rourke, A Trill, L Booth.