Regan hails ‘unbelievable’ leader Thompson

Martin Regan is a man who always talks about the collective when he’s sharing his thoughts on all things Naomh Conaill.

Regan has now seen his team win three Donegal SFC titles, with Saturday night’s 4-2 penalty shoot-out success over Kilcar following a 2-7 to 0-13 draw after extra-time adding to the previous victories in 2015 and 2019.

In Ciaran Thompson, though, Regan has a real leader. The youngest of the quartet from Ard MacGill followed in the footsteps of brothers Aaron, Leon and Anthony with the Naomh Conaill club. Ciaran is the first man to lift the Dr Maguire back to back since Brendan Devenney in 2009.

Thompson won the Peter McGeehin man of the match award where he kicked 1-5 and scored the winning penalty and could well be the first man to win the Gradam Shéamuis Mhic Géidigh twice. On the podium afterwards, as he welled up for a second whilst speaking about the late Michael Jack O’Donnell and taking ‘Pandy’ back to Glenties, he was cheered to the last.

“Ciaran is unbelievable and I don't like singling out,” Regan said. “We’ve a lot of leaders, even like his brother Tony aho has driven this team on since 2004. He’s brilliant - they all are. With Ciaran in the biggest of games you just know what you’re going to get from him. There was no better player to step up for that last penalty.

“We we a little annoyed as he was hitting the fifth penalty and penalty shoot-outs can be lost before they get that far. But his kick was to win it and when he walked forward, everyone knew if it came down to it he would do what he had to do and I’m delighted for him that he did just that.”