Celebrations in Dungloe with plenty to look forward to in 2023

Dungloe and are celebrating this week following their success in the Donegal IFC, where they produced a final win over Naomh Columba on Saturday last.

It had been 36 years since the club footballers had savoured intermediate championship success with their 1-8 to 0-4 win over the Glencolmcille-based side bringing joy to the Rosses.

“The team received a very warm welcome and there were huge crowds out to greet the team,” said Dungloe club secretary and former club player Patrick McGowan of the homecoming on Saturday.

“The whole town and the club are very proud of the team and management they have achieved this year. Those of us involved in the club know the effort that the team have put in over the past 12 months since Cloughaneely beat them in the replay.

“Saturday’s win and the manner in which they won it was a massive achievement for the team against a good Naomh Columba side. It was massive also from the point of view given the way the replay went against Cloughaneely especially after we should have won it the first time.”

McGowan paid tribute to manager Dessie Gallagher, who masterminded the victory and a stylish one it was. Dungloe won all six of their outings in the competition, with no other side even winning five.

“Great credit must go to Dessie and his backroom team and the players for the work they put in over the last two years to get back to the senior championship,” McGowan added. “Dessie has pulled it all together since he took on the job two years ago. He has put together a very good backroom team of Jamie Sweeney, Stephen Gallagher and Ronan Brennan, all proud Dungloe men with a wealth of experience playing senior championship football. Those lads played nothing but senior championship football in their playing days.

“But I’m sure they will agree while the management showed them the way it was the players that put in the hard work over the course of the last two years.”

Dungloe will now fly the flag for Donegal in the Ulster IFC quarter-final at Corrigan Park in Belfast, in what is expected to be a double-header with the SFC winners of Donegal - either Naomh Conaill or St Eunan’s - also drawn away in Antrim.

“I know from my own lad in the squad Monday night was for recovery, Tuesday night was training, Wednesday night it was the gym following the programme laid by Ronan Brennan,” McGowan added. “And since the start of the championship Thursday night it was off to Omagh to meet up with the lads in Dublin, Belfast and Derry and other parts and Friday night it was video analysis. That was the level of commitment and dedication required to get back to where they wanted to be playing senior championship football.”

Dungloe were demoted only two years ago when they went down to Milford in the Donegal SFC relegation play-off final. Having not won the intermediate crown since 1986, they didn’t want to be hanging around too long and were inches away from defeating Cloughaneely last year, before putting things right this season.

“A road back to the senior championship was the big prize for Saturday’s winners and our boys wanted it really badly,” McGowan added. “This was our second season playing in the intermediate championship after being relegated in 2020 after over three decades.

“Relegation hurt the boys because they felt they were the team that lost senior championship status. They were really hurting because of that and they were determined that they were going to win back the right to play in the senior championship again.”

For a few years before they were relegated Dungloe had been staving off relegation and involved in play-offs to avoid the drop and although the step-up is a huge one, they can approach the new years with confidence.
“ I managed the team myself for a number of those years,” said McGowan. “But these boys are determined that those days are gone and they hope to be competitive once more. In hindsight I believe they are better prepared to go back up to compete in the senior championship than if they had gone up last year. They are a year older and they are physically bigger and stronger. We are looking forward to 2023 already.”