'I'm probably enjoying football more now than I have in a long time'

Getting to the quarter-finals of the Donegal IFC involved a busy seven days for Lorcan Connor and Downings - overcoming Naomh Columba and Red Hughs at home and Naomh Brid away.

In the middle of the busy schedule, Connor turned 26 but he had little time for celebration apart from scoring 1-1, 0-5 and 3-2 in those games.

The three victories were enough to see them safely into the last eight, where they meet local rivals Gaeil Fhánada this Sunday in Dunfanaghy. An accountant based in Dublin, Connor also runs a Coffee Shop in Downings and subsequently has a very busy schedule.

In Dublin he trains with Templeogue Synge Street, who have Dublin panellists Niall Scully and Lorcan O'Dell. Buncrana man Bruce Waldron is now a member of that club and was centre-half back last Sunday when Templeogue met Kilmacud Crokes in Parnell Park. The match marked the first game for Kilmacud of Galway star Shane Walsh.


Connor was part of an attacking partnership with Jamie Brennan when Donegal reached an All-Ireland minor championship in 2014 for the first and only time. He has been a pivotal player for his club ever since but the progression in the last few years has been impressive.

"The main objective for the last few years is to get out of the junior championship,” Connor said. “We failed in 2020 against Convoy in Ballybofey. It was disappointing last year to lose the Ulster junior final but when you look back on 2021, it was a very successful year from a championship viewpoint. Getting that junior championship was the main goal.

"I suppose we are building nicely this year. We didn't get much time off last year. I'm not sure if it helped or hindered us because we seemed to start the year with a lot of injuries and then we got boys back on the pitch after a few weeks.

"We lost two out of the first three league games. We lost the first against Malin and then we beat Convoy at home and then we lost away to Fanad in the third match. Then we won 10 or 11 on the bounce with a draw in there against Red Hughs as well."

Connor references injuries to Alan Pasoma (in the Ulster final) and Shane Boyce (minor surgery) as factors in the slow start to the season. "Their return around the fifth game has helped as as they are two of our main players."

The intermediate championship has not been kind to Downings and Connor over his time playing. "For as long as I've been playing, for the last 10 years or so, we had only ever won one game in the intermediate championship, and that was a group game. We were in three relegation play-offs in-a-row to go down to junior and eventually we got relegated.

"The main objective at the start of the campaign was to get enough points to get out of the group and see then where it takes us."

The draw has pitted them against neighbours, Gaeil Fhánada, and there is plenty of history between the sides, having met in the league back on April 19th.

"Both teams, to be fair, know each other inside out. We have had good battles over the years. We have played Gaeltacht finals against them. We did meet them one year in the championship in Portsalon and they beat us that day. We were in Division 4 of the league and got promoted and we didn't have a game for six weeks until the first game of the championship and that was in Portsalon.

"There will be a lot of interest the next day out," says Connor, with the likes of Dungloe and Naomh Muire and Naomh Columba and Buncrana meeting each other once more.

He is happy that there was a break last week, after the hectic schedule of three games in seven days. "It takes its toll on your squad and that's when you're fortunate if you have 23-24 or 25 that can play for the team."

For some time there has been a lot of pressure on Connor, especially after his minor exploits, to lead the team, but he is glad to have plenty of help up front now with the arrival of some young talent.

"It's taken a small bit of the pressure off me. They (the opposition) no longer think that you have got one scoring threat, you've got Johnny McGroddy and now you've got Paddy McElwee in there in his first year and he's taken some of the burden," says Connor, who adds that they are still learning. "Game by game, it is coming together."

With a new county manager being appointed shortly, would Lorcan Connor be interested in putting his hand up for a place in the panel?

"I was in and out maybe once or twice. The main thing is getting the body right and focussing on this club campaign now and see where that takes me. Hopefully, we will be involved for another five or six weeks until the latter stages of the championship. So be it, if that was a decision that had to be made then, but I'll not be getting too far ahead of myself at the minute.

"I'm probably enjoying football more now than I have in a long time. We got a few boys up front at the minute and we playing a good brand of football and it's very enjoyable. It's very enjoyable on any team that's winning is probably what I'm saying."
But Connor feels it will be a collective effort. "Forwards will win you games but defenders will win you championships. It's all good having the firepower up front, but you have to keep the ball out of the net at the other end."