Ciaran Thompson: ‘If you win Donegal, you earn it

The chilly hours and minutes of uncertainty surrounding the debacle that has become the recent 2020 county final against Kilcar is not an issue for the Naomh Conaill captain Ciaran Thompson or his club.

And while Thompson and Co may be thinking of three-in-a row, that unresolved fraught issue has been firmly parked according to the Donegal star.

And it is not “head wrecking” as one experienced hack suggested to Thompson.

“No we were just glad to get last year’s final played with all Covid going on and now we are concentrating on this year’s county final,” he says.

“We just parked it and we are totally focused on this year’s championship. That is all we are thinking of and we are looking forward to Sunday’s county final”.

But they might not have even got to last year’s county final but for the epics of Leo McLoone in last year’s semi-final against St Eunan’s.

“We have had some tight battles with Eunan’s over the years and last year we went down to 14 men, and we struggled,” Thompson adds, with AJ Gallagher the man dismissed for a red card that was rescinded thereafter.

“Thankfully Leo dragged us back into the game and thankfully we just got over the line.

“They have some phenomenal players like Niall O’Donnell and Eoin McGeehin up front. But they are a solid team, with no weak links and they play very well as a unit.

“They are very cohesive, and Rory Kavanagh has taken them to a whole new level this year. They will be tough to beat”.

But Naomh Conaill have the look of a side with an insatiable hunger.

“It is hard to describe it exactly,” Thompson says. “It is part of our culture in Naomh Conaill to be the very best we can be at all levels.

“And we still have the men from 2005 driving us on and we are blessed with some very good young lads coming through.

“This year it was Keelan McGill and last year it was Odhran Doherty and they brought serious energy and serious hunger”.

And also serious pace from the Fintown four of Doherty, his two brothers Eunan and Ultan, along with Jeaic MacCeallbhuí, who have already shown how they can puncture the tightest of defences with sheer power and pace.

“There is serious pace all over the team and we are blessed with the Dohertys and Ethan O’Donnell who has savage pace and vision as well,” Thompson says. “We are lucky in that regard”.

“We also have our older legends in the club from 2005, Leo McLoone, Anthony Thompson, Brendan McDyer, Marty Boyle, Eoin Waide and Darragh Gallagher to drive us on.

“Those lads are looking for their sixth county medal and I am looking for my fourth and I hope that I can get up to them”.

Thompson is in the in-between group between the 2005 warriors and the young guns, and it is a role he is relishing as evidenced by his remarkable leadership and his kicking of great crucial scores when Naomh Conaill needed them most.

“Eunan Doherty, Ethan O’Donnell, Kevin McGettigan and Jason Campbell are all in and around my age group,” Thompson says. “So we have a great mix of players”.

When asked about a potential three-in-a-row he said: “It would be a big boost as there are very few clubs who have done it apart from St Eunan’s from 2007-2009.

“So, to try to replicate that is a massive goal of ours and it would be unbelievable and in our centenary year, it would be extra special. Donegal is a very competitive championship and if you win it, you earn it”.