Off The Post: Nobody did it better

Michael Murphy's decision to retire from senior county football is almost like a death in the family. 

For he seemed as permanent as Errigal, our rock, our very own Gaelic chief who led us to the stars in 2012 and has been a truly inspirational force in the green and gold since 2007. 

His record in captaining his county from 2011 to 2022 is something that will never be broken, and his scoring record is pretty phenomenal too. 

No other player has had such a major influence on any team in the 32 counties and he was simply the greatest Donegal player of them all. 

Michael has always had the cut of the mannerly young man who would have your daughter home from the prom in time. 

He is the quintessential gentle giant with the necessary steel to compete and win. 

And the memories still come tumbling back to that ball from Karl Lacey in the All-Ireland final of 2012 when he fielded it, swivelled and smashed it to the net and Donegal were on their way. 

And then there were all those superb points from impossible distances - the ability to get the goal, the point, and still make the block and tackle when his county needed it most. 

Right decision? 

I don't know the answer to that as I thought he had at least two more years left in him. But nobody knows himself better than Michael. 

There is a lovely pic of a very young Michael sitting beside his hero, Anthony Molloy, in the early 1990s. He looks so happy - two great legends together in two different generations. 

And both of them showed great character and courage to overcome big difficulties. Molloy was plagued with chronic knee problems and a very young Michael had a major operation on his hips. 

You can only guess at the sheer effort Michael had to put in to recover from those operations. 

His work rate has always been off the radar, near enough was never good enough for the giant Glenswilly man. 

If he was the beating heart of Donegal since 2011, then Murphy is the soul of his beloved Glenswilly and he almost single handedly drove them to a county title in 2016 when they beat a hotly fancied Kilcar. 

Just a few weeks ago he gave this writer an inspiring interview about the Glenswilly minor team and how much he admired them as people and players. 

He respected them for their efforts and honesty, attributes he has always carried in spades. His loss is incalculable but he has recognised that ‘Father Time’ can be merciless. 

But this is only the end of a chapter. 

Mighty Niamh 

A big congrats to Donegal’s dazzling dual star Niamh McLaughlin on being given the TG4 Senior Players Player of the Year Award at the Gala Banquet in Dublin. 

The Moville star also picked up an All-Star in midfield on a night when a total of six Donegal players were nominated for All Star award. 

And it is extra special to be honoured by your peers. The dynamic Donegal team captain put in some outstanding displays in a year when her county came heartbreakingly close to making the big breakthrough against Meath in the All-Ireland semi-final. 

Donegal had a total of six nominees, including Termon team mates Geraldine and Nicole McLaughlin, Evelyn McGinley of Robert Emmett’s Tanya Kennedy and Niamh Hegarty and Niamh McLaughlin. 

And while nothing compensates for the disappointment of that narrow semi-final defeat, the fact that six Donegal players were nominated is a measure of the county’s standing at national level. 

Previous Donegal All Star winners include Therese Doherty, Niamh and Ciara Hegarty, Yvonne McMonagle and Geraldine McLaughlin. 

Donegal’s LGFA President Michael Naughton must have been a proud man and Termon and Donegal defender Emer Gallagher was on duty for TG4 as well. 

Donegal went so close this year, and they will be very keen to make that big breakthrough next year. 

Hopefully there will be no retirements as this squad certainly has the talent and experience to bring an historic All-Ireland title back to Tir Chonaill. 

Setanta on verge 

Ever since their foundation in 1979, Setanta have been at or near the top of the hurling tree in the county for quite a few decades. 

They had a hiatus from 1990-2007 but have bounced back in fine style since 2017. 

In Danny Cullen they have probably one of Donegal’s finest ash artists and the addition in recent years of Declan Coulter, Gerry Gilmore, Davin Flynn, Mick Donaghue and Niall Cleary has certainly strengthened their hand. 

This will be the ever modest Cullen’s fourth Ulster final appearance having been on losing sides in 2007 and 2008 to Armoy of Antrim and Fermanagh’s Lisbellaw. 

He struck gold in 2017 when Setanta beat Na Magha to take an historic Ulster title. On Sunday they face a formidable foe in Antrim champions Shane O’Neill’s from Glenarm. 

The Glens men will probably be favourites, which is all the better for Gary McGettigan’s men. 

Donegal don’t win two many Ulster titles at anything and in 2017 Setanta were victorious and then a year later Red Hugh’s of the same parish were Ulster Junior Football champions.  Now is that a record of what? 

Either way a Setanta win on Sunday in Celtic Park would be a massive lift to hurling in the county.