DONAL REID COLUMN: Tough schedule will stand to Naomh Conaill in Ulster final

Sunday 1st December marks the first day of winter. What is considered the first day of winter depends on whether you are using the meteorological or astronomical definition of the seasons. Meteorological is the simpler of the two options, as it splits the year into four seasons of three full months each based on the Gregorian calendar. I like to keep things simple but it is worth noting that the astronomical day begins on the 22nd of December.

The players and people of Glenties, will be hoping that this Sunday 1st December will be an astronomical day if they claim the Ulster senior club title in Omagh when take on Kilcoo of Down. Naomh Conaill have been magnificent all year and I believe that they can round off 2019 with a victory just as Gweedore did last year.

Indeed, all of Donegal are behind Glenties in their quest to become Ulster champions. Their success is a reflection on every club and parish in the county. Ulster senior club crowns are a rarity in Donegal with only St. Joseph’s from Bundoran/Ballyshannon and Gaoth Dobhair capturing titles. Naomh Conaill did contest the 2010 Ulster final when then lost to a very talented Crossmaglen team who went on to win the All-Ireland club championship that year. Of the current team, Marty Boyle, Leo McLoone, Anthony Thompson, Eoin Waide, Brendan McDyer and ‘Brick’ Molloy played in that game nine years ago along with current manager Martin Regan. Crossmaglen Rangers were Ulster kingpins around that time and had a team full of Armagh inter-county stars. Glenties gave them a very tough game that day in Breffni Park but were unable to curb the very strong Crossmaglen attack.

Naomh Conaill to their credit have been serious contenders in the Donegal championship ever since. Having lost the 2017 and 2018 county finals, the Glenties men eventually came good this year after three epic encounters with Ulster title holders Gaoth Dobhair. As a Gaelic sports enthusiast, I’m delighted to be able to mention two great Donegal teams in terms of Ulster. Last year, we as Donegal people were very proud of Gaoth Dobhair and were rooting for them all the way. This season, it’s so encouraging and pleasing to be writing about Naomh Conaill who have represented Donegal so well this year.

Down champions Kilcoo will certainly be no easy challenge. They have won seven out of this past eight championships. Burren dashed their 7-in-a-row quest last year. Their current manager is Mickey Moran who is assisted by former Derry player Conleith Gilligan. They were brought in to reinvigorate the team after their loss to Burren and Messrs Moran and Gilligan have certainly answered the call.

Kilcoo lost Ulster club finals in 2012 and in 2016 to Crossmaglen and Slaughtneil respectively. So, they will see Sunday’s decider as a great chance to finally seal an Ulster title. Kilcoo is a small rural village approximately 16 miles east of Newry. They have a great GAA tradition boasting men’s and ladies’ football and camogie teams and put a strong emphasis on underage Gaelic games.

I’m very aware that opposing managers scour local papers in opposing counties for any scrap of information or anything else that may be used as motivation for their own team. Even my own little humble column may be used as evidence. So, I have nothing but praise for Kilcoo and Down football. I know that Aidan Branagan, Ryan Johnston, Niall Branagan, Jerome Johnston, Conor Laverty and Paul Devlin form the backbone of the Kilcoo team. Down player Devlin has won eight club championships since 2009. They undoubtedly, are a team with pedigree and must be respected. They play with panache but they can mix it too. A tweet from their half back Aaron Branagan (brother of Aidan) after their victory over Derrygonnelly in the semi-final sums them up "That's the way we like it, nice and tough. There's nothing else to do in Kilcoo except play football. You go to Mass, have a few sheep and that's really it. So, it means everything."

Glenties now stand in their way. From a Donegal perspective, we trust in our team who have had a tough Donegal championship. Naomh Conaill are a smart outfit with a great blend of youthful talent and experienced ‘know-how’.

Gaoth Dobhair led the way last year and were great champions. I believe that the three games against last year’s Ulster champions will stand to Naomh Conaill. They don’t come any shrewder or tougher than Gaoth Dobhair. Glenties will be glad to be back in Healy Park in Omagh where they played brilliantly against Clontibret. I know that the players, management and backroom team have made massive sacrifices all year, especially this past six weeks when everything else was discarded in preparation for the championship. Many miles have been clocked up on the training pitch and on the road travelling. Finals are there to be won. Nobody knows this better than the players. It’s on days such as Sunday when all of the pain, sacrifice and effort will come to fruition.

There will be massive support for Glenties from all corners of Donegal in Omagh. I would like to wish everybody in the Naomh Conaill club every success for Sunday’s game.

Naomh Conaill Abu!