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23 Oct 2025

A decade of Big Four dominance as Championship contenders unlikely to change

As the new championship season begins this weekend, we look back at some of the most memorable, controversial, and talked about matches between Donegal's Big Four - Naomh Conaill, St Eunan's, Gaoth Dobhair, and Kilcar, over the past decade

Naomh Conaill 0-8 Gaoth Dobhair 0-7 (second replay final 2019) - Play it Again Sam 

Following two hell-for-leather finals the previous weeks, both of which ended in a draw, for the first time in history the county final went to a third match.  

And despite going in as favourites, it was the Ulster champions Gaoth Dobhair who were pipped by a disputed point from Naomh Conaill’s John O’Malley in the last minute as the final trilogy came to a conclusion in dramatic fashion. 

O’Malley saw his shot sneak towards the angle of post and upright and Gaoth Dobhair claimed wide in the second replay. However, referee Seamus McGonagle and his umpires decided the ball had gone over.  

Gaoth Dobhair were then reduced to 13 men when Odhran McFadden-Ferry was sent to the line for a high challenge on 17-year-old Nathan Byrne, joining Eamon McGee who was sent off before the second half even started. 

Eamonn Collum levelled it up with a 59th-minute free, but after 200 minutes of football, it was O’Malley who had the final word. 

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