League decider important step for Gaoth Dobhair’s newcomers

By Michael McMullan

GAOTH Dobhair manager Rónán Mac Niallais feels Saturday’s league final date with Naomh Conaill will help the newcomers to the squad.

As well as offering a chance for silverware, the game comes at the perfect time ahead of the championship on the second weekend of August.

Donegal panellists Daithí Mac Roibeard and Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde should again be available but Mac Niallais has left Dáire Ó Baoill’s involvement in his own court.

“We’ll leave it up to him, whatever he wants to do,” Mac Niallais told Gaelic Life of Saturday’s decider at O’Donnell Park.

“I’m sure he’s physically and mentally drained after what they’ve been through. It would be great to have him to throw him on for 20 minutes and give the boys a boost, but we’ll not pressure him into it.”

Mac Niallais outlines the “massive rebuild” in Gaoth Dobhair this season after losing a host of players including his brother Odhrán.

“It’s great for those young lads (to be in a final) and it would be great to try and get them a senior medal in their back pocket,” he said.

“Any kind of senior medal you get is worth having. It’d be great for them to get it. You mightn’t be showing everything you have, but whatever 15 you put out will be going Gung Ho for it, that’s for sure.”

He pointed to the county final defeat to Naomh Conaill last season and losing to Kilcar in the Gaeltacht decider.

“We’d be of the opinion we didn’t show up in those two, so hopefully now, on Saturday, we’ll at least improve on last year’s county final and see where that takes us,” he added of their approach.

After Saturday’s final, it leaves three weeks until the championship gets into gear and Mac Niallais praised the Donegal CCC for how the programme of fixtures was administered. Aside from one game they moved themselves, everything ran like clockwork.

“Everyone’s trying to get something different out of the league,” Mac Niallais summed up. “For us, it was about competing at the top and trying to make the final and if we win it, well and good. I suppose other teams are just trying to survive.

“We got a lot out of the league in fairness this year, especially with the young team.”