Donegal SFC begins minus majority of county contingent

A NUMBER of Donegal club managers have hit out at the decision not to postpone the first round of the senior championship with a number of inter-county players noticeably absent in the first week of action.

Gaoth Dobhair in 2018 was the last time neither St Eunan’s or Naomh Conaill lifted the Dr Maguire Cup, but both started the group stage on the losing foot with Patrick McBrearty inspiring Kilcar to victory in Letterkenny while Naomh Conaill went down to Glenswilly, who were without a certain Michael Murphy while the two losing sides were also shorn of key faces.

Elsewhere, Sean MacCumhaill’s managed to beat St Michael’s without star attacker Oisín Gallen with the Bridgemen having to make do without Michael Langan – a situation repeated across the Tir Chonaill County as players took a well-deserved break from Donegal’s run to the All-Ireland final where they fell to Kerry.

Speaking to the Donegal News, MacCumhaill’s manager Gary Wilson said: “Oisín went on holidays and I felt that the championship should have been put back with a bigger break. I felt that there was space at the back of the championship.”

Gaoth Dobhair manager Rónán Mac Niallais saw his side creep past Glenfin despite the absent Daire Ó Baoill and Odhran McFadden-Ferry, but he said late scheduling changes were also having an impact.

“My kind of thinking was if Donegal won the All-Ireland, it would be pushed back and if they lost, it might go ahead.

“The boys had this weekend pencilled in from the get-go so it didn’t really put us up or down that much.

“The most frustrating thing is that last Saturday (August 2) we were told this game was going ahead yesterday, but 24 hours later we were told it was changed to Sunday.

“That’s kind of frustrating because all these boys put their lives on hold for football and they change work shifts and everything.”