THE DEMOCRAT SPORTS DIARIES: B&B at O'Donnell Park

The Democrat Sport Diaries is put together by our sportswriters Peter Campbell, Chris McNulty and Alan Foley, where they will be discussing the week’s talking points ...

B&B at O'Donnell Park
What a weekend of GAA action! O'Donnell Park could move into the hospitality business after a hectic schedule at the Letterkenny venue. Six games in three days and the pitch was as good as ever on Monday evening - plaudits to those who look after the ground.

Big Vincent McGlynn and Frankie Doherty were on overtime, as was Fergus McGee on the public address. The TV tower erected for TG4's coverage of Sunday's Michael Murphy Sports semi-final between Kilcar and Naomh Conaill was still standing on Monday. Could it be that O'Donnell Park could host the 2021 county final?

The first of the senior semi-finals on Saturday evening in MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey was played in atrocious conditions and the Ballybofey pitch cut up badly.

After a reasonably good summer, is there a need for major work on the MacCumhaill Park surface? On the evidence of Saturday, that would seem to be the case.

St Eunan's stuttered over the line to get to the final with St Michael's not helped by having their full-back Liam Paul Ferry missing from the action for half the match with a red card. For St Eunan's, It is a good way to get to a final, but it would seem that Rory Kavanagh has room for improvement.

But back to O'Donnell Park where Dungloe poured more semi-final pain on Naomh Columba on Saturday afternoon, running out worthy winners. Dessie Gallagher's side are progressing steadily and Dylan Sweeney stole the limelight. Cloughaneely came out of the other semi-final and will be contesting their third final in-a-row.

We weren't expecting a classic when old foes Naomh Conaill and Kilcar met in the second senior semi-final and that's the way it turned out. 0-4 each at the break, thoughts went back to the semi-final of 2017 when it was 0-6 to 0-3 at the break and both sides added one point in the second half.

Naomh Conaill turned the screw in the third quarter on Sunday to go four ahead and the only way back for Kilcar was a goal. It almost came but overall the Glenties men were worthy winners.

And special mention must go to referee Enda McFeely, who had a tough call to make to disallow the 'goal' that would have squared it in added time. McFeely was strong and correct in his call. We often find space to criticise officials and it is right that we praise them also, especially in such a tight game.

As for some of the shenanigans that went on after the final whistle, there is no excuse. The individuals - and there are only a few - involved need to take a look at themselves. It is important to take defeat and victory in the right manner.

If only everyone could take a leaf from Patrick McBrearty's book. The Kilcar man walked to the exit, shook hands with a Naomh Conaill player en route, and left the scene with dignity. A lesson for all. PC

Major occasion on minor day
Monday was minor day in O'Donnell Park with victories for St Naul's, over Naomh Padraig, Muff, in the Division 2 decider while MacCumhaill's bridged a 50-year gap to win the Division 1 title against Glenswilly. The stand at the Letterkenny venue was packed and it looked as if there was a bigger attendance than at the previous day's senior semi-final.

Fair play to the Minor Board who also had a programme for the game although there could be a rap on the knuckles for MacCumhaill's for not adhering to the programme numbers. PC

When Ulster said no
There must have been some strong words at the special Executive meeting of Donegal GAA on Thursday night last that led to Donegal officially deciding to vote against Proposal B at last Saturday's Special Congress in Croke Park.

In this paper last week, Donegal GAA chairman Mick McGrath said the Donegal delegates would wait until the day to see what proposal would come forward before they would make up their mind.

At that stage there was no mention of an Executive meeting on Thursday night or a press release on Friday. I'm thinking that the meeting must have had a very strong input against the proposal, which was to have a championship/league basis.

The whole saga was very flawed with both Croke Park and counties making decisions just days or hours before the vote. Remember these proposals were in the public arena for almost two years.

Donegal GAA say they are open to change. What change are they open to? If Proposal B was revisited and provincial winners were included in the last 16, is that the change they would vote for?

If it is then maybe they should take control of the issue and lead from the front. As Colm Collins, the Clare manager said, there was a call for change after the Milltown Massacre of 1979 (Kerry 9-21, Clare 1-9) but it took over 20 years to get there with the Qualifiers.

Hopefully, it will not take another 20 years to get an All-Ireland championship where "there is a level playing field with each county playing the same amount of games to get to the final". Those are the words of Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Donegal’s GPA Representative, in this paper just two weeks ago. PC

The cup that’s lost its magic?
The FAI Junior Cup is known as one of the biggest amateur cup competitions in Europe.
Between 600-700 teams compete annually in the blue riband competition for Irish amateur soccer clubs. Recent finals have been played at the Aviva Stadium and the semi-finalists are rewarded with entry into the FAI Senior Cup - and a possible date with some of the League of Ireland’s big guns.

Glengad United, for example, hosted Waterford in the FAI Cup in August 2019 having reached the Junior Cup semi-finals in the 2018/19 season. However, the competition appears to have lost its lustre for Donegal League clubs.

Fanad United (pictured above) and Letterkenny Rovers, two new clubs in the junior ranks, are among just four from the Donegal League who have entered this season’s FAI Junior Cup. Kildrum Tigers and Keadue Rovers are the others. It means that just one club between the Donegal League and the Inishowen League, who also have only four entrants, will make it through to the national phase of the competition.

Fixture pileups saw clubs discouraged from entering. Other clubs see potential travel costs of away trips in the open round as prohibitive and there are those who see an entry as a wasted exercise. Whatever the reason, it’s disappointing to see so few entrants from these parts. CMcN

Eyes of the world on Kelly
A Donegal man will feature in one of the biggest sporting events that will be staged in Ireland this year. Darragh Kelly, a mixed martial artist from Moville, fights on the Bellator 270 card at a sold-out 3Arena in Dublin next Friday night.
Kelly is making his professional debut and will be cornered by Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, for his fight against Junior Morgan.

Bellator 270 will be headlined by a lightweight world championship fight between Patricky Freire and Peter Queally and a bantamweight bout between Strabane’s James Gallagher and ‘Patchy’ Mix serves as the co-headliner.
Mixed martial arts has exploded in popularity in recent years. Bellator cards in 2020 averaged around 400,000 viewers. Next week’s main card goes out live on Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport and will also be shown live in the USA on Showtime and in the UK on the BBC iPlayer. A huge stage for the Inishowen man. CMcN

Countless Markievicz

Anyone who was in the Twin Towns on Saturday evening would’ve witnessed the cavalcade of the Markievicz panel following victory in the Donegal camogie final in Convoy. No doubt winning the trophy in their first season was well celebrated, although manager Paul Campbell was rightly frustrated by the manner of their victory.

Their opponents Burt had tried to get the match postponed on Friday with players unavailable but their request was too late and the match was to go ahead as planned at the Donegal Training Centre.

However, only Markievicz turned up so when the ball was thrown in by match referee Sean Curran and Markievicz scored a goal through Laura McGuinness. Markievicz played an A v B match to keep the crowd entertained.
With people putting in serious work to promote the sport, it was not a fitting climax. AF