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06 Sept 2025

Sounds of summer: Donegal's All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals have brought all sorts

Donegal take on Louth at Croke Park tomorrow in their 11th official All-Ireland quarter-final and their previous 10 have brought both celebration and calamity

2002 All-Ireland quarter-final replay
August 17
Dublin 1-14 Donegal 0-7
There were no grins when the sides replayed 12 days later,  with stories circling that the bulk of the Donegal panel had opted for the night out in Dublin, instead of the trip home, after the drawn game. The Irish Independent's Martin Berehy described Donegal's replay showing as "a shockingly inept performance, Physically suspect and mentally brittle, the conviction tanks emptied rapidly, leaving them with a miserable return."
That was perhaps a soundbite from the era, as Donegal, who always had potential, yet failed to build on a strong showing and produced a feeble follow-up. Ray Cosgrove continued his ruck vein in front of goal that summer as Dublin led 1-6 to 0-3 at half-time and the second half just went through the motions. Local residents protested outside of Croke Park, due to the increasing number of high-profile games at the venue, on a day when Donegal didn't turn up on the pitch themselves. 
"I'll not make any decisions on that," Mickey Moran said of what his future might bring. "It is not in my head. I haven't said I am going. But I'm not saying that there isn't questions to be sorted out" 



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