By Shaun Casey

DESPITE having a disappointing 2026 season, Donegal are still a top contender for the ultimate prize, says former goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley.

After hammering Kerry to capture the Division One league title, Jim McGuinness’ men were knocked out of the Ulster Championship in round one by Down, only to produce the goods against in Killarney against Kerry on the opening day of the All-Ireland series.

But a surprising loss to Cork at Ballybofey and then an extra time defeat to Dublin saw last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists knocked out of the race for Sam Maguire before the quarter-final stage.

“There’s a lot of good young players coming through and I think it’s just about trying to keep the core of the older team and blooding the young lads, particularly the lads who have a load of energy and a load of legs,” McGinley said.

“There’s a massive amount of luck involved, even with the condensed season. Michael Langan got injured before the first game (Down) and, in my opinion, is probably Donegal’s most important player.

“I’m saying that as a clubman but he’s a phenomenal footballer and I think missing him that day really set Donegal back.

“He’s so important to the way they want to play.

“If you look at Kerry and compare them to last year, they never really seemed to have their 15 players that they wanted out on the pitch at the same time, at the level they wanted.

“Look back to the Mayo and Meath game and Mayo were 2-7 to 0-3 down. To come back from that to win an All-Ireland, it takes a lot of hard work, but it also takes a lot of luck to keep your main players fit.”

Following Mayo’s first All-Ireland triumph in 75 years, plenty of counties will feel they can go all the way and the St Michael’s clubman expects next season’s championship to be just as open.

“It’s really open and you have a lot of good young teams,” he added. “Mark McHugh did a great job with Westmeath this year, Louth have kicked on and you have teams now that, 10 years ago, were nowhere near it.

“They’re now starting to knock on the door and that makes for a more open and competitive championship and that’s what you want.

“Particularly in Ulster, you have Armagh, Tyrone, it’s going to click with them at some stage.

“Donegal are Monaghan had a good year this year, Derry if they can ge tit together, Down had a massive victory in O’Donnell Park this year.

“It’s so open and you need the work done but you need that wee bit of luck that, come the summertime, you can keep everybody you want fit and have them all peaking at the one time. That’s probably what happened with Donegal this year, they probably peaked a wee bit too early. If they could have pushed it back maybe six weeks, they wouldn’t have been too far away.”