Fermanagh first up for Donegal in Ulster Minor Championship

Donegal open their Ulster Minor Football Championship (U-17) campaign with a quarter-final meeting with preliminary round winners Fermanagh this Saturday in Ballybofey. (Throw-in 4pm)

Fermanagh defeated Down last Saturday and face the side managed by Luke Barrett, who is in his third year at the helm in Donegal. And after the covid lockdowns and general uncertainty, the Donegal manager has had a testing first couple of years in the job.

“I have been involved since 2020 and this year is the first time we’ve had a proper structure with a league and a proper pre-season to warm up for the championship,” Barrett said. Donegal, last season’s beaten Ulster finalists, go into the championship on the back of wins over Fermanagh, Derry and Sligo in the Ulster Minor League. The one game they lost was against Cavan, in Kingspan Breffni Park.

“Cavan were the better team on the day and deserved to win it and we have no complaint about the result whatsoever,” Barrett added.

Donegal ended the league level on points with Derry and Cavan and missed out on a place in the final on score average.

“We decided from the very outset we were going to use the league to look at as many players as possible,” Barrett said. “The aim was to put together a panel that is fit to compete in the championship. And hopefully we have done that over the four games.

“Winning was a bonus in a couple of those games.The most important thing was getting the players quality game time and competitive action ahead of the championship. We used 24/25 players in the league and we gave everybody an opportunity to stake a claim for a place and to give them the exposure to it will be like in the championship.”

The Donegal manager feels that this year's championship is going to be the most competitive it has been in years.
“If you look at Tyrone,” he said. “They should have won the All-Ireland last year. They probably felt they left it behind them. Derry won the All-Ireland the year before and they were unfortunate last year they played the first round in Ulster a week after the All-Ireland final. They have a serious panel of players again this year.

“Armagh, again under Brendan Hughes, have a fantastic team. There is quality all over Ulster. Mark Counihan has been managing Monaghan for the last five years and they have won two Ulster championships and they got to a couple of finals in that time as well. So they have massive experience as well. We know we are up against it and that the competition is going to be ferocious.

“But it is also exciting as well because we would like to compete and give a good account of ourselves and bring a bit of pride to the jersey as well.”

Donegal have four survivors and a couple of panel members from last year's team that went down to Tyrone, in the final. The manager believes there is a lot of quality in the Donegal panel and he argues the reality is they are 16 and 17-year-olds and they are learning their craft.

“It is our job over the next couple of years to nurture them and to get as many of the players into the U20 and senior team in the coming years as we can,” Barrett said.

“If we can develop the raw potential and give them a toolbox to work on over the next couple of years for me that is success.
“The reality is only one team can win Ulster, only one team can win the All-Ireland and the reality is Donegal never won an All-Ireland.”

“We have been competitive in Ulster over the last few years and we got to the final last year. It is about competing and having the belief you can compete. The reality is not all of them are going to play county football. But the expectation is that they are going back to their clubs better players with a better standard of coaching which will hopefully bring up the standard of club football which can be only good for the clubs and the county.”

Fermanagh pulled off a surprise win over Down last weekend in Brewster Park on a 2-9 to 1-9 scoreline. The winners of Saturday’s game are straight through into the Ulster semi-final while for the defeated side, it is the Qualifiers and a second chance in a group involving all first round losers.

Donegal panel: Zach Conlon (Malin), J P McGuinness (Killybegs), Fiachra McClafferty (Downings), Donal Gallagher(Glenswilly),Gareth Gallagher (Termon),Danny Diver (Carndonagh), Jack Long (Glenfin), Oisin Scanlon (St Eunans),Shaun McMenamin, Sean Martin,(Sean MacCumhaills), Eoghan Kelly (Aodh Ruadh), Niall Prenderville (St Nauls), Ciaran McGee (Dungloe),Finnbar Roarty (Naomh Conaill), Shane Delahunty (Aodh Ruadh),Eoghan Scott (Glenswilly),Ben Rafferty (Kilcar),Cian McMenamin (Termon),Sean McLaughlin (Buncrana), Lorchan McGee (Cloughaneely), Conor McGinty (Sean MacCumhaills), Odhran Doherty, Mark McDevitt (both Naomh Conaill), Max Roarty(St Michaels), Odhran O’Connor (Glenfin), Gavin Doherty (Killybegs),Karl Joseph Molloy (Ardara),Ryan Barrett (Bundoran), Kevin Lynch (Naomh Padraig, Muff), Daithi Gildea (Glenswilly),Padraig Coyle (Cloighaneely), Senan Carr (Four Masters).