McDonnell on other side of fence as Errigal chase final spot

By Michael McMullan

BEN McDonnell is on the other side of the fence now as Errigal Ciaran go in search of a first All-Ireland final spot.

In an Ulster Championship where they won three of their games in tight squeezes, his four points were vital.

None more so that his late scores to see off St Eunan’s in the preliminary round – a result that ultimately led to Sunday’s big encounter with Kerry and Munster champions Dr Croke’s in Portlaoise.

“Half of this team sort of grew up watching Errigal teams get to Ulster finals and winning county championships,” the midfielder stated.

Getting a cut the big names in Ulster is special. He references coming through against a Kilcoo team who have walked the walk all the way to the Hogan Stand steps.

He was six years of age when the last Errigal team, including manager Enda McGinley, delivered their last Ulster title.

“I can just remember going down the road and getting the sandwiches and getting down the country,”
he said of 2002, his earliest memories.

“It’s great for the fans to get on the road and see them packing picnics and getting the kids ready. It’s brilliant for the kids. It’s great to have it.”

McDonnell made his debut in 2016. There were final defeats to Trillick (twice) and Omagh. One of the days against Trillick came after extra-time.

His first O’Neill Cup medal was in 2022 but they’ve backed up the latest with a four-game crusade that delivered the Seamus McFerran Cup.

“Whenever you come into the team you think you’re going to win championships all the time,” he said. “Days of winning finals don’t come around too often, so it’s great to seize that opportunity.”

There were 10 years without Tyrone success since 2012. After losing to Trillick in the 2023, they have bounced back to secure two titles in three years.

Scratch the surface on the 2024 version and their thick underbelly is there for all to see. Just as Clonoe who should’ve steered Errigal out the championship exit door but didn’t.

As quoted on the pre-Ulster final podcast, former star Pascal Canavan referenced how the current squad would embrace the closing stages if they were toe to toe with Kilcoo.

For McDonnell, he can’t fully put his finger on what makes the Errigal wagon difficult to shake off the road.

“We have a lot of trust in each other,” he said, taking a minute to sift through their Ulster final win.

“We back each other to just make the right decisions. A lot of it comes down to making the right decisions near the end.

“We’ve got good players there. You have the three Canavans (Tommy, Ruairi and Darragh), you have Petey Harte, Cormac Quinn, Joe Oguz and Niall Kelly.

“They have been there and thereabouts. These boys have all experienced it.

We’ve had a lot of tough setbacks over the last couple of years before 2022.

“I’d say we’ve learned a lot from that too when it comes down to the end, to just be patient and stay relaxed.”

McDonnell pays tribute to the managers before McGinley, men who laid the foundations.

“The thing with Enda,” McDonnell adds. “We have a lot of big memories in 2012.

“With me as a midfielder and Joe Oguz, I was watching the likes of Enda and his brother Cormac playing in the middle of the field.

“They were Trojans of footballers and we looked up to boys like that. I think just when he came in, we just had a lot of belief in him. He had a lot of belief in us.

“We had a lot of belief and just a trust in what he was doing with us. Thankfully, it’s just been paying off.”

This week’s Gaelic Lives looks ahead to the All-Ireland semi-finals this weekend and we have Ulster minor winning reaction.