Ronan Mac Niallais pedigree shines through in Gaoth Dobhair

Gaoth Dobhair manager, Ronan Mac Niallais, has the pedigree to be successful with the club as leads them into the senior championship decider against Naomh Conaill this Sunday in MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey.

The soft-spoken but highly eloquent Mac Niallais has GAA pedigree in spades . . . on both sides of his family. 

Ronan’s dad Donnacha was a noted GAA and soccer player with Gaoth Dobhair and he played in a county final for Gaoth Dobhair in 1977, seven years before Ronan was born in 1984. 

“I am the same age as Eamon McGee and he is still going strong. 

“And I remember seeing my father playing more soccer than Gaelic along with Hughie Rua Gallagher and those boys for Gweedore Celtic. 

“I used to be down at training in Magheragallon underneath the golf club where there was an old field and sometimes the lights would come from the parked cars and they had a generator.” 

But Ronan’s dad also coached the Gaoth Dobhair senior gaelic team in 1993 and he recalls being at those sessions as a nine-year-old. 

“Then in 1995 dad was a coach to the Donegal U-21 football side that beat Cavan after a replay in the Ulster final in Brewster Park in Enniskillen when Donal Reid was the manager and I was at that game and it was a great day for me. I was at the training and I was on the bus with them too. 

Ronan’s uncle Eamonn Mac Niallais won an All-Ireland Vocational Schools medal with Donegal in 1984, something that Ronan also did in 2002.  

There are four boys in the McNiallais family with Ronan the eldest followed by Lorcan (who lives in New York), Odhrán and Donnacha   

“Mum had a tough time,”he quipped. 

“My mum is Maire Mellett and she would have been a St Eunan’s woman as her dad Michael Mellett played for them for many years in goals 

“And then on mum’s side again her mother was Margaret Boyle, a sister of the late Hughie Tim Boyle, who won so many county championships with Gaoth Dobhair and also played for Donegal. 

“Granny Margaret Boyle is still alive and she is 93.” 

And former Manchester Utd star Paddy Crerand is Ronan’s granny’s nephew as his mother Sarah was also one of the Boyles. 

“Paddy Crerand is my second cousin and I met him a few times when I used to work in the Ostán Gaoth Dobhair and he would be over in the summer and I remember being on to him one time for tickets.” 

But the connections do not end there as both Donal Mac Giolla Bríde and Neasan Mac Giolla Bríde are first cousins of Ronan as his father’s sister is their mother.  

“There is a huge family connection and we are delighted to have such a strong sporting connection and we played all sports as kids.” 

And then there is brother Odhrán, one of the most skillful players ever to don boots for club or county.

Ronan Mac Niallais pictured in action in the 2002 Co final against St Eunan's

Ronan made his senior debut for Gaoth Dobhair in 2001 when he was 17 and made his championship debut in 2002 and went on to win a long awaited county championship which was played in 2002. 

“Eamon McGee, Neil McGee and I were on that team and I was playing midfield and I was 18 and I think it was Michael McCafferty was along with me. 

“We beat St Eunan’s in the final and that was massive 

“We had not won a title in over 40 years so that was a huge win for the club and we were massive underdogs. 

“The celebrations were just off the charts and as an 18-year-old I thought it was going to happen every year, but it just doesn’t.” 

But in 2006, Gaoth Dobhair won the senior and the Reserve, the year a wonder goal from Stephen Cassidy saw Gaoth Dobhair through by 1-5 to 0-6. 

“I was inside of him and looking for the pass, but Stephen went for goal and it was great that it worked out.” 

Ronan stopped playing for Gaoth Dobhair in 2014 and moved to Dublin and played with Na Gaeil Óga after retraining as a Primary teacher when he was 29 in 2013. 

Before that he went to NUIG and graduated in Irish Sociology and Politics and then did an MA in Irish. 

“Galway was wonderful and probably to the detriment of my football career from 2003-2007. 

“I taught for four years in Dublin and transferred to Na Gaeil Óga, an Irish speaking team in Dublin and I ended up coaching them as well.” 

He missed out on the epics of 2018 as “my body would not have been able for it and have been back teaching in Donegal since 2019.” 

This is his first year managing Gaoth Dobhair senior team and what a year it has been. 

“I love the coaching and being on the pitch and to see players developing, especially the younger players when they put the effort in, the rewards they get and they improve as footballers. 

“I don’t enjoy the ‘phone calls or the e-mails or the picking of teams as you are always letting somebody down and that is not a nice part but you always enjoy seeing players develop.” 

On Sunday Mac Niallais and Gaoth Dobhair face a massive test. 

“Of course we know the challenge Naomh Conaill will bring, the experience, the massive physicality and the aggression they will bring and we will just have to be prepared for it. 

”I was pitch side for the Naomh Conaill and St Eunan’s game and the aggression and the shouting and the roaring from both sides was interesting and it was a real psychological battle and our boys will just have to be ready for that.” 

It’s probably lucky that Eamon and Neil McGee are still around as they are well used to this level of competitiveness from their county days. 

“We have not faced that yet and I have no doubt that our boys will perform well football wise but it is a first final for so many of them. 

“We have a lot of new players and we have some great Reserve players and we have massive numbers at training now and we have 8-9 boys training in Dublin as well. 

“There is a great buzz and Gaoth Dobhair people are just mad for football and the underage structures are very good at the minute. 

“The work is going in and we won the U-21 title last year and this year’s minors were not far away either.” 

Donegal to learn Ulster SFC fate this Saturday

The return of McGuinness and with Mickey Harte coming on board with champions Derry adds even more interest to what was already the most compelling football province in recent times

So what would it mean for Gaoth Dobhair to win on Sunday? 

“It would mean absolutely everything. 

“A lot of people and especially the likes of Eamon and Neil McGee, who might not have a lot of time left playing, but then it would be huge for another generation of players, it would be huge. 

“Because Gaoth Dobhair need to be at the top - the tradition is there - 15 championships and Gaoth Dobhair need to be in and around finals regularly and Naomh Conaill are the calibre of team that everyone is striving for and Gaoth Dobhair would love to be there as well.”

One thing is sure . . .  they certainly have the pedigree.