The career of Yvonne Bonner - 20 years on from Donegal debut - is 'awesome'

It seems to have gone unnoticed that Yvonne McMonagle-Bonner’s return to the Donegal Ladies’ side last month came twenty years after her adult debut for Donegal in the 2002 National Football League Division 2.

Not so, with Fr Seán O'Gallchóir, the Donegal GAA historian, looking through the achievements amassed by Bonner, with club and county, and with a few more chapters to write yet. He describes her career as "awesome".

"She has been some servant of Donegal Ladies’ Football," said Fr Sean, with her Donegal appearances at 137.

Bonner (nee McMonagle) came on as a sub for Mairead McKenna when Donegal beat Fermanagh 3-9 to 1-3 in Irvinestown on March 10, 2002.  She was an Ulster JFC winner with Donegal in both 2002 and 2003, winning the All-Ireland Junior Championship in the second of those seasons. These titles came before the back-to-back Ulster Minor success of 2004 and 2005.

In 2010, Bonner was an All-Ireland Intermediate Football Championship winner, adding onto her provincial success that summer. She was voted an All-Star that year, as well as winning the Donegal Player of the Year. Donegal won Division 2 in 2010 and matched the feat six years later.

Donegal were Ulster champions at senior level for the first time in 2015, with Bonner adding two more, in 2017 and 2018, with Bonner the county's Player of the Year in both of those latter years. She was named on the Donegal Yearbook Team of the Decade: 2010 – 2019.

Perhaps her finest personal display in a Donegal jersey came with a personal total of 6-5 against Down in 2015, the same year she posted 5-3 against Westmeath. She was also part of the Ulster Inter-provincial winning teams of 2010, 2016 and 2017. 

With her club Glenfin, Bonner was a Donegal SFC winner in 2011, 2018, 2018, 2020 and 2021, having been an intermediate winner in 2004 and then minor county champion in 2005.

Glenfin have been Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta Náisiúnta winners in both 2008 and 2018, whilst being victors of the Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta Dún na nGall in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.