Strong Donegal connection to All-Ireland junior semi-finals this weekend

The All-Ireland Junior Championship will be decided this weekend with the semi-finals on Friday night at Abbotstown and the final the curtain-raiser to the Donegal v Galway game at Croke Park on Sunday (1.30 pm)

And there is a good chance that there will be a Donegal connection in the final with links to a number of the teams.

US GAA, a team comprising players from Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Pittsburgh) will take on London in one semi-final while Warwickshire will take on New York in the other semi-final.

Among those on the US GAA team will be the Bradley twins, Shane and Conor, with Shane as vice-captain. Their father Louie hails from Letterkenny while their mother is from Raphoe. Louie is involved in the backroom team.

The Bradleys are from the Delco Gaels club in Philadelphia. They are joined on the US GAA team by their cousin Brian McDaid, who played underage for Termon and was on the Finn Harps Academy and at DCU for a time. They are connected through the Porters from Raphoe, Conor and Shane's mother is Carmel and Brian's mother is Una.

Mark Dunphy is another Donegal connection with his mother from Carndonagh while one of the backroom team is Eamonn Kelly, formerly from Buncrana, while Owen Ward, whose parents are from Leitrim, has a connection with Dungloe, where his grandparents hailed from.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Eamonn Kelly, said they were really looking forward to the challenge. “We play on Friday night in the semi-final and our aim is to be in Croke Park on Sunday for the final to play in the curtain raiser to the Donegal-Galway game. That would be the pinnacle.

“We played a local club in Limerick, Monaleen, last night and we did well, so we are keeping our fingers crossed,” said Kelly, who had special praise for Killybegs’ Niall Erskine, who had helped them in their journey over the last few years as Overseas Chairman of the GAA.

The US GAA team is currently in Ireland, based in Limerick.

There will be Donegal interest also in the Warwickshire team with former Kilcar player Seanie Boyle involved while Jack Gillespie of Red Hughs is also one of their panel.