Johnny McLoone: Naomh Conaill won't take Cargin lightly - they don't do that

Johnny McLoone says that Naomh Conaill parked their Donegal SFC celebrations pretty quickly as attention more or less immediately switched to another shot at Ulster glory. 

Since relieving St Eunan’s of their Dr Maguire crown, Martin Regan’s men have had a month to prepare for Sunday’s provincial opener, away to Antrim champions Cargin.

McLoone was, of course, part of the Naomh Conaill side that were edged out by Crossmaglen in their first Ulster decider back in 2010. 

The Boys in Blue had led by 0-7 to 1-3 at the break back then, with Jamie Clarke's goal keeping the legendary Armagh outfit in contention after Naomh Conaill had dominated. 

However, despite being down to 14 men for the majority of the second period, Crossmaglen  showed serious guile and experience to eventually win out by 2-9 to 0-10. 

“People say that one came too early for that group but I say the opposite - it came at exactly the right time,” McLoone explained.  In my time playing, that was the best side I played with at Naomh Conaill. They were so young, so mobile and so hungry. 

“Those lads were all flying and you still had the Tommy Donaghues, the Leon Thompsons, and Daragh Gallaghers in their pomp. But Cross… their reputation probably preceded them and they just had that aura. 

“And we probably just didn’t have the squad at that time that the senior side would go on to build in the years after that.”

McLoone had hung his own boots up by the time Naomh Conaill once again reached the Ulster club showpiece, back in 2019. 

But watching on from the terraces, he admits the disappointment of the 2-11 to 2-9 loss to Kilcoo was no less palatable even if he wasn’t part of the match day action.  

“It’s the hardest place because you’re there, but in a different capacity. As a supporter you can do nothing - you’re completely helpless. But that day, it felt like a game that got away from us very early on - we were always chasing.

“We probably peaked in the semi-final with the win over Clontibret. We went into the final with real momentum. But we just didn’t get to that level when we really needed it most.” 

McLoone - a NFL Division 1 medal winner with Donegal back in 2007 - agrees that an Ulster title would indeed put an emphatic exclamation mark on some stellar Naomh Conaill careers. 

But, he adds, provincial medals aren’t dished out on sentiment alone. And if the likes of Leo McLoone, Anthony Thompson, Dermot Molloy, Eoin Wade, Brendan McDyer and Marty Boyle are to finally land that coveted piece of gold this term, they’re going to have to earn it.  

“They’ll know that better than anyone because of the disappointments they’ve had in the past, especially those two finals. But once you win your county championship, I always felt a weight was lifted and Ulster was really there to be embraced. It’ll be the exact same thing this time out”. 

On Cargin and that opening Saffron challenge, McLoone said: “If Naomh Conaill lose it’ll be Cargin that beat them, it won’t be complacency, cockiness or looking beyond the game. The older brigade simply don’t allow that kind of mindset to fester in that dressing room.”