What's next for Donegal's first Croke Park All-Ireland club finalists Naomh Padraig?

Croke Park and an All-Ireland Club JFC final awaits Naomh Padraig following their epic semi-final win on Sunday.

Daniel McCauley’s side came through a dramatic last-four clash against Cork and Munster champions Cill Mhuire, 3-1 on penalties after a 1-13 to 2-10 drawn match after extra-time at Parnell Park.

It means that the Inishowen club will be at Croke Park in Dublin for the final on Saturday, January 25, the day before Donegal begin their Allianz League Division 1 campaign against Kerry in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney.

Naomh Padraig’s final will be against Cheathrú Rua, who won the Galway and Connacht IFC titles, then defeated Ballinagar from Offaly in the All-Ireland semi-final, 1-9 to 0-11 at King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon, with Paudie Mac Cormaic kicking the winner and St Mary’s Convoy official Enda McFeely the referee.

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A throw-in time for the final has yet to be confirmed - although most likely evening - with tickets soon to be released on the official GAA website. The match will be shown in some format by TG4.

The only other Donegal side ever to reach an All-Ireland club final was St Michael’s in the IFC in 2004, with St Joseph’s (1975-76), Glenfin (2001-02), Red Hughs (2017-18), Naomh Colmcille and Gaoth Dobhair (both 2018-19) all having won provincial titles down the years.

St Michael’s were Donegal’s first-ever representatives in an All-Ireland club final, losing out 1-11 to 1-4 against Ilen Rovers from west Cork at Portmarnock’s Páirc Mhearnóg in the IFC. So, Naomh Padraig will be the first ever Donegal side to compete in an All-Ireland Club final to be played at Croke Park.

All of Donegal’s other provincial champions down the years fell at the All-Ireland semi-final stage, bar Glenfin in 2001, when there was no national section of the competition.