Name: James McHugh

Teams played for: Kilcar, Donegal, Ulster (won a Railway Cup medal), Tralee Regional College.

Current involvement: I was Kilcar manager for a couple of years seven or eight years ago, but as far as involvement now I am a supporter. I’ll get involved again at some level at some point. I enjoyed the management, but the game is totally different from when I was playing. I enjoyed working with the young senior players. I had been gone from the club 20 years, but then I got involved in 2011 and 2012. The trainer is the most important part, I had Rory Gallagher. The manager manages people, which is different when I was playing.

Which club game that you played in will you never forget?

The 1993 county final. We beat Killybegs. They were going for three in-a-row. Killybegs were a good club side. They were one of the best sides in the country, them and Castleblayney. We beat them in the county final. They had beaten us in 1988. That really got to us. It was a local derby, we both had good teams. That was as great a victory that the club ever had.

Which club game that you watched will you never forget?

It was about 2007, this was an u-14 B. Kilcar against Convoy. We were 15 points down and it started to get dark. Kilcar managed to come back and level it and then ended up winning it in the replay. They won the u-14 B cup. A lot of that team went on to win minor A championships in Donegal. They won the u-21 championship. Four of that team togged out in Enniskillen (For Donegal against Tyrone in the Ulster Championship). I remember that game because it was a dark night but they came back from 15 points down. Maybe six of them went on to play senior championship for Donegal.

Which county game that you played in will you never forget and why?

1992 for obvious reasons.

Which county game that watched will you never forget?

The 2011 quarter-final against Kildare. Cassidy’s point was memorable. The other game was the 2014 All-Ireland semi-finals at minor and senior, Donegal against Dublin. We beat Dublin for both of those games. I know we didn’t win the All-Ireland, but those semi-finals were unreal. That was as good an atmosphere as I have ever seen at Croke Park. I know it was only a semi-final, but the atmosphere was fantastic.

What’s the funniest thing you have ever seen in a game?

We were playing in the championship in 2015, 2016, something like that, against Glenswilly and they started with 16 men. I don’t know if someone got the count wrong.

The referee caught on after 30-40 seconds. The game was restarted. Glenswilly still beat us.

What was the most memorable performance from a player you were watching?

Neil Gallagher against Cork in 2012. I’d say that was as good a performance as I have seen from a Donegal player. Cork were colossal around the middle of the field. But he just took over. You had to be there to witness it. He caught kick out after kick out competing against serious players.

What was the most memorable performance from a player in a game in which you were playing?

James Carr from Kilcar in the 1993 county final. He had been consistent down through the years, but he really stepped to the fore in that game. He had a massive performance in a game that we weren’t expected to win. It was players like that who led the thing that brought it on.

What did you enjoy about playing in your era?

The craic. We had good craic after games. It was a different environment to now. You would have great craic after the games, even the social craic on the bus on the way home from games.

What did you enjoy least about playing in your era?

There wasn’t a big lot that I didn’t like. Maybe injuries. But I really enjoyed it all. I had success at club level and county level.