'Scars of past disappointments have been healed this season' - Dermot Keaveney

It’s been almost 15 years since Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin lost their inaugural Donegal junior county final, something that must now feel like a century ago for team captain Dermot Keaveney. 

Until the success of this season came around, when he would think back to that one-point defeat to Naomh Colmcille on a dark Saturday night in October in 2010, all he can remember is the deflation and doubt. 

Time certainly heals all wounds, but it was only when half-forward Rory Hirrell sent Cill Mhuire goalkeeper the wrong in what was his side’s winning penalty during last Sunday’s All-Ireland junior semi-final in Parnell Park that the Naomh Padraig veteran found solace. 

It took over 80 minutes of back-and-forth, pure raw football against the Cork men before the game was decided by the dreaded task of penalties following a 1-13 to 2-10 stalemate with Naomh Padraig’s full-forward nailing home a late penalty in extra-time to grant the Inishowen club a lifeline they, at that point, so desperately needed. 

And now, through all the drama, Naomh Padraig stands only 60 minutes away from All-Ireland glory when they become the first Donegal club to play an All-Ireland final in Croke Park on January 25. 

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“It’s amazing, in fact, it’s quite surreal, my nerves are gone,” Keaveney said following Sunday’s match in Dublin.  

“When it comes to penalties, you’re always going to be nervous but thankfully the boys kept their composure and slotted their penalties away. We’re in an All-Ireland final . . . it’s fantastic.” 

The game itself was a see-saw affair, with moments of brilliance punctuating a contest dripping with tension.  

Cill Mhuire, who brought fire and flair, looked like they had done enough when Rory Duggan’s goal in extra time opened a three-point gap. Yet in those moments of apparent despair, Naomh Padraig’s leaders rose to the occasion. 

Kevin Lynch’s late penalty towards the end of extra-time was a moment of audacity and composure, while the performance of Caolan McColgan, in particular, will live long in the memory of this campaign. His ability to break lines and glide through defences turned the tide on several occasions. 

“In big games, you need your big players to step up and the boys did that, Kevin Lynch was fantastic, the last five minutes of extra-time when we needed boys to step up, I thought Caolan McColgan was unbelievable,” Keaveney said. 

“Caolan took about four men on and won that penalty which brought us back into the game. That’s the difference in winning and losing an All-Ireland semi-final but in fairness to Cill Mhuire, they’re a strong team, they kept going right to the end. 

“When it comes to penalties, anyone can win, so for Cill Mhuire, it’s a tough way to lose but I’m just so happy that we’re on the winning side of it.” 

For Naomh Padraig, it’s a season they have been focusing on since November 2023, and now they face the last frontier, almost a sense of absolute completion when they march out to play An Ceathru Rua in less than two weeks in GAA Headquarters. 

For many clubs, it’s something you could only dream of. For Keaveney, he knows just how far the senior side in Naomh Padraig has come during his time as a player and what it means to the people of his area. 

“There was a lot of hurt from when we lost the county semi-final last season, so we had to knuckle down, get together, and put in one giant push for a county title,” he said. “That took a lot of work and thankfully we got it. 

“We knew after the county championship that we were good enough to give Ulster a rattle. From there, the journey has just continued and now we don’t want it to stop. We’ll have to stop eventually but hopefully, by the end of this journey, we’ll have an All-Ireland trophy in our hands. 

“This day means so much for our club which is such a young club. I was there when we lost the county final in 2010 and 2016, the scares of those defeats run deep, but this season and the success we’ve had now heals those scars.  

“It’s an emotional journey that is probably hard to put into words, all I can say is that I’m a proud captain and a proud Naomh Padraig man.”