Mac's View: Great day for Donegal in Ballyshannon on Sunday

It was a great day for Donegal in Fr Tierney Park, Ballyshannon on Sunday which was also tinged with sadness with news of the passing of Aodh Ruadh President and GAA stalwart Owen Roe O’Neill.

Owen Roe was a very well liked man who made a huge contribution to the GAA both for club and county. I think his first involvement was as a member of the Donegal minor team of 1956, the breakthrough team for Donegal in winning an Ulster minor championship.

I remember playing against Owen Roe at minor level in 1958 when Bundoran defeated Ballyshannon over two legs and then Four Masters before losing out to an Ardara-Killybegs combination. We went to the final a year later but lost out to two goals from Donal Breslin and Gaoth Dobhair.

But then in 1961 Owen Roe was central to Bundoran and Ballyshannon minor teams combining and they won two minor championships. That was also the beginning of St Josephs with Owen Roe heavily involved in that as well. Owen Roe was a playing member of the first St Joseph’s win in 1965 along with his brother Joe.

He also had a great love of hurling and played for club and county and he kept things alive when things were all but dead. He had a great memory and was a great conversationalist on all things GAA. He reared a good family and O’Neills in Ballyshannon was a stopping point and a real GAA public house. My sympathies to the O’Neill family. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

GREAT WIN FOR DONEGAL

Sunday finished up a great day for Donegal but at times it didn’t look good, especially when we were eight points down in the second half. I was standing in the press box behind the Daly sisters, Ann and Brid, and at one stage we talked about saying a rosary.

The introduction of Michael Murphy was the spark we needed and he wasn’t long on the field when he created goal chances for Jamie Brennan.

He then set up the crucial goal which was finished very well by Shane O’Donnell. And that’s what turned it around. The loss of Brendan Rogers for Derry was also a factor and he seemed to pick up a serious enough injury. He will be lucky to be back in time for the championship encounter in early April.

Overall, it was a good day all round. Fr Tierney Park looked resplendent and the surface is outstanding. The huge attendance of close on 7,000 went home very happy. It was a grand day in March for a game and the venue looked like it could house another couple of thousand comfortably.

The win puts Donegal in a safe position in Division 1 and even without another point, their eight point total might be good enough for them to get to the league final. There is a discussion going on about whether Donegal would want to be in the final but I have a different opinion. Winning games is a great habit and if we are in a final we have to go for it.

Ciaran Thompson battled very well at midfield against what was a very big Derry midfield of Conor Glass and Anton Tohill.  Dáire Ó Baoill is also having a very good league campaign and is relishing the new rules.

But it was the introduction of Michael Murphy which turned the game. Murphy is in terrific shape and it would seem that he will be used in this position and I would agree that it is the best way to use the Glenswilly man.

It was good to see the other Gaoth Dobhair man, Odhrán McFadden Ferry back on the field. He is a tough tackling defender and he will be a big asset come championship. It was also good to see Oisin Gallen finishing the game well. He needs to get his confidence boosted for the championship. Hopefully, Patrick McBrearty will be okay. I heard he was to have a scan. He was going well and is one of those players who would relish the chance of going for the two-pointers.

Derry made a lot of changes from the team that featured in the programme, which was disappointing for those who paid for the match programme. I think they made six in all.

There are two games left to play and it will be interesting to see the clash with Tyrone in Letterkenny in a couple of weeks. One of the big stories from the weekend was the performances of both Tyrone and Armagh and we can rest assured one of that pair will be there waiting in the Ulster final if we get there.

Donegal have a two week break before the Tyrone game and that will be welcomed. We showed a great deal of spirit coming back on Sunday but we also were well off the pace for much of the first half and a period in the second half.

But a win is a win and our great recent record in Ballyshannon was also maintained.

Commiserations to both the hurlers and Ladies who lost out at the weekend away to Kildare and at home to Galway respectively. 

Good luck to Barry Ward and the Donegal minors as they set out on their Ulster Minor League campaign this weekend with a home game against Cavan in O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny on Saturday.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell