There’s never ever an easy Ulster Championship game: McFadden

By Michael McMullan

DONEGAL selector Colm McFadden has walked the walk in the Ulster Championships white heat and shines a light on the cut and thrust of the coming weeks.

Having been a scoring ace, he is now on the other side of the line. Donegal are the reigning champions and have been faced with a title defence that begins in the preliminary round with the visit of 2022 and 2023 winners Derry in Ballybofey.

“It was a strange conversation because yesterday (Sunday) we were just finishing up the league campaign,” McFadden said at Monday’s Ulster Championship launch in Armagh.

“It all happens very quickly. Knowing from last year, once the championship starts the whole season flies by.

“It’s all action but I suppose the players can enjoy that too. They were playing plenty of games and it’s not like years ago when there’s big blocks of training and then straight into an early game. It’s exciting for everyone.”

From his own playing days, the St Michael’s man experienced the lows of defeats to Armagh and was part of the Donegal breakthrough in 2011, on their way to lifting Sam the following season. As a player, running out over the white lines, what is the Ulster Championship like to play in?

“It’s tough…very, very tough,” came his immediate reply. “There’s never ever an easy Ulster Championship game. No matter what side you play, any of the other eight teams that you play, there’s always good quality there.”

It’s a case of fighting your own corner. That’s the special side of it and McFadden offers last season’s semi-final as an example when Armagh, despite being favourites, were pushed all the way by Down in Clones.

“It was a very tight game and Armagh went on to do the ultimate and win All-Ireland,” he said. “It was very, very close.

“I think it was the last kick of the game or the last play, Armagh used probably their experience in that last two minutes.

“They kept the ball and ran the clock down and got their score. That shows you that you always have to be on top of your game to get the result for Ulster.”

Don’t miss next week’s Gaelic Life for an extensive Ulster Championship supplement.