Mac's View: Looking forward to a very good county final

It is a really interesting contest with two very contrasting teams. Just looking at their paths to the final you can see they are so different. St Eunan’s have a great set of forwards and have been putting up big scores in the first half of games, but their defence also looks shaky at times. In the semi-final against Gaoth Dobhair they went 1-9 to no score ahead on 15 minutes but could easily have been back on level terms at the break. And in the end they were holding on for the win.

Naomh Conaill seem to be a team that reserves their best for the final quarter of games and sometimes the last five minutes. They looked out of it against Glenswilly in their semi-final being five down with five minutes to go, yet they found a way to get a draw and when it went to extra-time you would never have back against them.

The weather forecast for Sunday is good so there should be a huge crowd in MacCumhaill Park to see this one. Big Kieran Gallagher is a huge miss for Naomh Conaill in the middle of the field and he was missed especially against Glenswilly, who dominated that area for a good part of the semi-final. News that Ethan O’Donnell is back home from Australia will be a help to the Glenties side in that area of the field.

If you had to put your money down on Sunday’s final, it would be a very hard one to call. St Eunan’s are a well-drilled outfit going forward but you wonder how they will react if put on the back foot. And they will be put on the back foot at times by Naomh Conaill.

On the other hand we know that if the game is close coming down the straight, Glenties know how to win games. But the big question is can they keep doing that and leaving it late? Will they fall short at some stage if they rely on that late surge?

St Eunan’s have to tighten up at the back and have to play to their maximum if they are to prevail while the men from Naomh Conaill might need to keep the gap at a minimum and not rely on always finishing strongly.

It is a hard one to call but I just think Naomh Conaill might prevail.

I have just heard about young Finnbarr Roarty signing a contract with Collingwood in Australia. My first reaction is that it is a great opportunity for him but it is an awful loss for Glenties and Donegal. They obviously saw talent in him and he has earned the right to have a go, no more than the Mayo lad Kobe McDonald. I just wish him the best of luck.

There should be a good game in the curtain-raiser also with Four Masters’ young guns taking on the St Eunan’s reserve team who have a good number of former senior players like Darragh Mulgrew, Eamonn Doherty and Conor Parke. St Eunan’s will be strong favourites for that one and start the day on a winning note.

INTERMEDIATE AND JUNIOR

We had a good weekend of finals last weekend with Inishowen teams doing very well. They have the Junior and Intermediate cups for the next 12 months.

Urris finished the junior final in style to defeat Declan Bonner’s Na Rossa and they were worthy winners with a good mix of youth and experience. They will be a strong addition to the Intermediate ranks next year given their display on Saturday in O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny.

Congratulations also to Letterkenny Gaels who got the better of Naomh Brid in the Junior B decider. This looked like a walk in the park for Gaels at half-time but Naomh Brid battled back to make a game of it in the second half.

On Sunday we had the all-Inishowen Intermediate final and it followed a familiar recent pattern with Naomh Padraig, Muff going in at half-time well clear only for Carndonagh to come back strongly in the second half. And in the end Muff were thankful to hear the final whistle.

There was another Inishowen victory in the Intermediate B with Carndonagh getting a last minute goal to defeat Naomh Muire.

This weekend we have the start of the U-21 championships and at least we will have some action over the next few weeks. It’s just a pity that there is no senior football now until next April for club players.

LATE JOSIE BOYLE

We had sad news this week with the death of Josie Boyle of Ballyshannon, someone who made a great contribution to Gaelic football as a player, coach and manager. He was on the Donegal senior panel that won Ulster in 1972 and won his last club championship medal with St Joseph’s in 1976.

He was a great player and a great club man. He proved himself as a coach and manager afterwards with Aodh Ruadh. But apart from that he was a very nice fella and very fit.

There are so many stories about his playing days but one I remember was in a challenge game for St Joseph’s against Dunmore McHales in Bundoran, he got the ball around the middle of the field and he kept soloing it. In the end he was going backwards but kept soloing and he gave away a ‘50’ as he went over his own goal line.

Josie was a great man marker but there was not a bad bone in his body. He was never nasty. It is a sad week for his wife and family and my sympathies go to them. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell