Captain O'Donnell says everyone on Dungloe team are 'absolutely brilliant'

Lifting aloft the Cathal McLaughlin Cup was a dream come true for Dungloe captain Conor O’Donnell following the Donegal IFC final on Saturday.

The Rosses Park club were convincing winners on a 1-8 to 0-4 scoreline in Letterkenny to seal a return to the senior ranks after a two-year absence.

“It is what you dream of as a young boy growing up captaining your team to senior titles,” O’Donnell said afterwards. “I’m a lucky man that I was up there today because there is a team full of leaders in the team and not just me.

“Everyone in the team to a man are absolutely brilliant week-in, week-out and they are a credit to themselves, their families and the club. We put in a lot of work over the last two years and not just this year, last year too. We trained four five nights a week for this day.”

The captain also paid tribute to manager Dessie Gallahgher and his management team of Ronan Brennan, Jamie Sweeney and Stephen Gallagher.

“Ronan is a genius when it comes to coaching strength and conditioning and Dessie does not leave a stone unturned in preparation for game and Jamie and Stephen are all amazing men,” O’Donnell added. “It is amazing what you can accomplish when a group of boys come togeher and go for something.”

Dungloe lost last year’s final in a replay to Cloughaneely and the captain feels the heartbreak of that defeat strengthened the team’s resolve this season to go one better this time around.

“It definitely gave us a bit more of a bite,” he added. “Last year we should have won it the first day only for a couple of decisions but that was in the past.

“But we also knew we were not going to automatically get back to the final and we were going to have to work for it. We knuckled down at the start of the year and we worked even harder than last year because that was what it was going to take to get this victory today.”

A mid-table finish in Division 2 of the All-County Football League did not cast any doubts on whether or not they were up to another good championship run.

“Our league form last year was pretty similar to this season,” O’Donnell added. “But we knew once the championship comes around we would find another gear. There is a different hunger and different atmosphere once it comes to the championship.

“We had a number of injuries too and lads were missing for one reason or another. But they were all back for the start of the championship.”

Dungloe will now fly the Donegal colours in the Ulster Intermediate Championship, playing away to the Antrim champions at Corrigan Park in mid-November.

“It is great to get the opportunity to play in Ulster,” O’Donnell said. “Those opportunities do not come around too often. And we are not only now representing the club we are also representing the county, as well. We are looking forward to it but first we will celebrate this success for a few days and then get down to start preparing for Ulster.”