Finian Ward - a back-to-back Donegal Sports Star in 1979

In any language and regardless of how you gauge success 1979 has to go down as a good year for Donegal footballer of the time Finian Ward.

The Naomh Columba clubman was one of Donegal’s leading footballers in the 1970s and early ‘80s. And he has the silverware and the honours to prove it.

At the end of 1979, Finian, a prince among wing-backs of the time, picked up his second Donegal Sports Star Gaelic Football award at the Donegal Sports Star awards banquet in the Milford Inn.

Finian, an Ulster championship winner with Donegal (1974), double Railway Cup winner with Ulster and a replacement All-Star, was the Donegal Sports Stars Gaelic Footballer of the Year in 1978 also.

“It was a mixed time for Donegal but 1979 certainly was a good year for me on a personal level,” said Finian speaking at the launch of the 2020 Donegal Sports Stars of the Year awards in the Mount Errigal Hotel on Monday evening.

“At the start of the year Sean O’Neill called me into the Ulster squad which was a huge thing at the time because Donegal were not going great.

“So to be called into the Ulster squad, the only player from Donegal to make the squad, was a huge honour and I was lucky enough to make the team for the two games.

“We beat Leinster in the semi-final and Munster in the final, a Munster team backboned by the great Kerry team of the time.

“The Railway Cup was a huge competition back then. The final was played in Croke Park and was live on television on St Patrick’s Day and always attracted big crowds.

“I was fortunate to make the Ulster squad five years in-a-row. It was a huge thing because you were playing with and against the cream of footballers at the time.

“Sean O’Neill was the Ulster manager and the winner of eight Railway Cups (player) and three All-Irelands and was a highly respected football man in Ulster and throughout the country.

“I was lucky to win two Railway Cups in-a-row. We won it in ‘79 and again in ‘80.”

Naomh Columba won an historic first senior championship in 1978 and began ‘79 as Donegal champions.

“At club level 1979 was a bit of a disaster. We won the championship the year before but because of a dispute we were thrown out of the championship in 1979. But that is water under the bridge now.”

But on a personal level Finian Ward’s prowess on the playing fields continued to be recognised with a replacement All-Star.

“I wasn’t selected on the All- Star team but went on the trip as a replacement. The trip was to the States and took in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

“It was the first year the Bank Ireland got involved as sponsors. It was 19 days and was simply a fantastic trip and we played two games.

“It was great to meet the players from other counties I would have played against and hurlers from Kilkenny and the other counties.

“Tim Kennelly, who sadly is no longer with us, Mikey Sheehy, John O’Keefe, Pat Spillane, Nudie Hughes, Paddy Cullen and Dermot Earley are just a few of the big names that spring to mind from that trip.”

Donegal, with Finian Ward at left-half-back, reached a first Ulster final in five seasons.

“It was something of a surprise because a lot of the great team that won the Ulster Championship in ‘72 and ‘74 were gone at that stage.

“We beat Tyrone in the first round, which is never easy and we scraped home against Derry in the semi-final.

“We were reasonably confident going in the final against Monaghan, because they had come out of the blue.

“They beat us well in the final but it was good to get to the final and I think we probably went as far as we were capable of going. We had a lot of new players in the squad.”

The 1979 Donegal Sports Star award was a second for Finian and he insists it was probably a close call with one or two other lads in the team in the running.

“I know Michael Lafferty was not too far behind me. Michael was a fantastic player and played for a long time for Donegal.

“Michael Carr was probably another but I do know it was a close call in the voting between myself and Michael Lafferty who was playing fantastic football at the time.

“The fact that I had played for Ulster and got a trip with the All-Stars probably swung it for me.”

Finian Ward the supporter

Finian Ward in recent years has worked as a match analyst with TG4 and is an avid Donegal fan and rarely misses a Donegal game, let it be in the league or the championship.

Like all Donegal followers he is looking forward to the season ahead and he feels Donegal should be in the shake for a first threein-a-row Ulster championship crowns.

But he also insists Donegal need to have a good league campaign in Division One of the Allianz National Football League.

“We have to be confident looking ahead to the new season and we are going to give the league a lash first.

“To me it is important to stay in Division One, we were unlucky two years ago to be relegated but did well to win promotion back up last season.

“Division One is very difficult, you simply have the best teams in the division and I would be happy if we stay in the division.

“And of course you could not have a better start to the championship than Tyrone at home. Donegal people were delighted to hear that Cathal McShane was heading off to Australia, a fabulous footballer. It might make it a little easier for us but Tyrone are never easy. But I do feel if we get over Tyrone we might just shade three Ulster titles in-a-row. Donegal have never won three in-a-row and it would be a great achievement but it is easier said than done.

“We certainly do have the players. I think we have the best squad ever. We have an awful lot of good young footballers; some people say we have a lot of footballers of the same standard and that may be so but that standard is very high.”

Dublin face into 2020 as the five in-a-row champions and chasing a sixth under a new manager Dessie Farrell, a man with strong Donegal connections.

“This time last year I predicted Dublin would win the five in-a-row. But I’m not so sure they will do it this year. Kerry are very close, not quite sure if we are at that level yet but on our day we will give any team a run for their money.

“It is probably a poisoned chalice for Dessie but a new manager can get a good response and Dessie is very popular in Dublin and if he does get a positive response they will be the team to beat.”