Tunnel Vision - Derry has been circled on the board ever since Ennis - Jason McGee

“Everyone has to start somewhere” says Jason McGee on making that significant step up to senior intercounty football.

Donegal’s turbulent 2023 took a real turn last time out in Ennis, against Clare, when they recorded just their second competitive win this term.

Having opened so encouragingly in the NFL back in January with a superb home win over All-Ireland champions Kerry, the wheels came off the side’s league campaign in disastrous fashion resulting in them being relegated to the second tier.

Paddy Carr’s head rolled in unceremonious and, to be brutally honest, undignified fashion as a result. Ulster SFC elimination followed away to Down in Newry. All that drama, coupled with the off field boardroom issues making national headlines, morale seemed to be in the gutter.

It’s been a steep and sometimes cruel learning curve for the large chunk of fresh faces elevated to the senior ranks this term. McGee agrees that the last number of months have been quite difficult but he says Donegal have been here before and in the not too distant past.

A corner of sorts was turned in Ennis a fortnight ago with that All-Ireland series win over Clare. But Derry in Ballybofey, this Sunday, represents a serious step up in class.

“Confidence is a funny thing in football,” said McGee. It either goes one way or the other. But you could see the difference in the second-half against Clare when we turned things. We were pinging on scores and you’re suddenly looking around and thinking, ‘we’re on top here’. It hadn't felt like that for quite a while.

“And the hope now is that follows into the next number of weeks. Even the first training session back after Ennis, the lads were that little bit looser looking and there was that wee buzz there. For the younger lads - that was very important.

“For the older fellas, you try to suck up the disappointment but having been in their shoes in the past, you can let it seep in, the negativity I mean. I will never forget 2017 and that Ulster semi-final hammering by Tyrone in Clones.

“I was hooked at half-time. It was a horrible feeling. And because I was still young enough, I dwelt on it. But I was able to look back pretty soon enough and appreciate it for the learning curve it was.

“I wasn’t the only one. I remember the first NFL game against Kerry the following season in 2018, I think it was Declan Bonner’s first outing as manager. We’d a serious amount of new faces in as well. We ended up getting relegated.

“So it takes time. But it has felt like a fresh start since the Down game”.

Derry recently picked up their second provincial crown on the bounce. But they’ve had their own well documented upheaval and distractions to contend with in recent weeks as well.

The contrast in how they dealt with Monaghan in the Ulster SFC, and the manner in which they struggled with the Farney men in last weekend’s All-Ireland series draw, was stark. So the Oak Leafers definitely appear vulnerable.

But whether Derry’s regression, and Donegal’s apparent improvement, provides enough of an intersection for Aidan O’Rourke’s side to take advantage will only become apparent once the action gets going at the weekend.

McGee explains: “Derry now - it’s a completely different scenario. It’s a serious step up and we’re under no illusions in regards to that. But at MacCumhaill Park, this feels like a real chance to redeem ourselves. Because it has been such a difficult time for everyone, players and supporters.

“Rewind to just a year ago and we’d be going in against Derry in Ballybofey as favourites. So there has been a real change to that dynamic. You simply cannot look past that we’ve had to blood so many new faces this season.

“It’s a really hard step to bridge and it can be a shock to the system. And for many of the lads on Sunday, they’ll be so excited looking forward to their first ever championship game in MacCumhaill Park.

“Derry are Ulster champions, they’re only in the road. These are the type of days that make the hairs stand on the back of your neck. We’ll be big underdogs, but with that crowd behind us we’ll throw absolutely everything at it.

“You never take it for granted. The adrenaline rush when you’re in that dressing room getting ready to run out is amazing. It’s a complete rush then popping your head up and out that tunnel. When you look around and every man is in the zone, that’s what it’s all about.

“People ask why do you do it or is it hard to stick around? It’s for days like Sunday. And we genuinely cannot wait for it to come. I really hope we see our supporters pack it out because it’s a massive help when they row in behind us.

“We’re Donegal, we’re on our own patch. And like I said, we want to build on Clare. This is that opportunity for real redemption. After the year we’ve had, Derry are back to back Ulster champions, a win for us could turn all that on its head Sunday.

“The incentive is huge for us.”

McGee came on at half-time against Clare with his side trailing 0-6 to 0-3 and perhaps somewhat fortunate to still be in contention. But that introduction coincided with a huge improvement in Donegal’s fortunes and they eventually ran out 14-9 winners.

And the Cloughaneely man says the hamstring issue that prevented him from starting that encounter is now no longer an issue.

“Towards the last five minutes of the Down game I was running back and I just felt the hamstring ping a little. You can never be too sure with those things so I was hopeful I might be looking at around two weeks.

“But the scan later revealed a grade two tear. So I got through a fair amount of rehab between there and Clare. I was close but the smart decision was to just hold off and maybe see could I come in with the intention of finishing out the game.

“The hamstring is a funny one. You just have to be very careful with it. I had an issue with it back in 2019, I tore it badly that time. So being that little bit more careful this time out with it paid off thankfully.

“I’ve drawn a line under all of that now. And it was just a frustrating period all around. The Down loss was a real sickener. It hurt alot. So I was eager to play in Ennis. And watching on in the first-half, it was difficult. So it was just good to get in and for us to get over the line.

“The hamstring felt good too so it was pleasing on a number of fronts. To be fair to Antoin McFadden, he put me through a serious warm up before coming in. That allowed you to get to the pitch right away. So it’s full steam ahead now for Sunday”.