2018 Donegal Senior Football Championship

Donegal S.F.C.

Season	2018
Champions	Gaoth Dobhair (15th title)
Relegated	Burt
All Ireland SCFC	Gaoth Dobhair
Winning captain	Niall Friel
Man of the Match	Odhrán Mac Niallais
Winning manager	Mervyn O'Donnell
Matches played	??
← 2017 2019 →

The 2018 Donegal Senior Football Championship was the 96th official edition of Donegal GAA's premier Gaelic football tournament for senior graded clubs in County Donegal. Sixteen teams competed, with the winner representing Donegal in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship began with four groups of four, and continued with a knock-out format. The draws were made on 24 March 2018.

The defending champion was Cill Chartha, which defeated Naomh Conaill by a scoreline of 0–7 to 0–4 in the 2017 final. However, the club had to play the competition without two of its county stars, Patrick McBrearty and Ryan McHugh. On 26 September 2018, it was announced that McHugh had accepted medical advice and would be sidelined for the remainder of the year due to concussion. ^{[1] [2] [3]} His injury came while playing for his club in a challenge match against Dublin champions St Vincents in Cavan in late August 2018 — he received a blow to the head during that match. ^{[4] [3]} Concussion had also caused McHugh to spend six weeks on the sideline following a 2018 National Football League game (against Kildare ^[3] or Tyrone ^{[1] [2]} depending on which report you read) earlier that year. ^{[4] [3]} The injury meant he could take no part in the 2018 Donegal SFC (of which his club was defending champion), news which was worsened when taken in the context of the earlier loss of McHugh's club and county teammate McBrearty to a cruciate ligament injury. ^[5]

This was Milford's return to the senior grade following relegation in the mid-1990s, after claiming the 2017 Donegal I.F.C. title.

On 21 October 2018, Gaoth Dobhair claimed its 15th S.F.C. title by defeating Naomh Conaill by a scoreline of 0–17 to 1–7 at MacCumhaill Park.

Burt was relegated back to the 2019 I.F.C. after just two seasons in the top-flight, when losing its relegation final to newly promoted Milford.

Team changes

^{[6] [7]}

The following teams changed division since the 2017 championship season.

To S.F.C. Promoted from 2017 Donegal I.F.C. Milford - (I.F.C. Champions)

From S.F.C. Relegated to 2018 Donegal I.F.C. Naomh Muire

Format

The 2018 championship took the same format as previous championships, in which there were four groups of four clubs, with the top two clubs qualifying for the quarter-finals. The club finishing bottom in each group contested relegation play-offs to determine which team would be relegated to the 2019 Donegal Intermediate Football Championship.

Group stage

All 16 clubs entered the competition at this stage. The top two clubs in each group advanced to the quarter-finals, while the club that finished bottom in each group entered a relegation play-off. This year, all clubs played one home match, one away match and one match at a neutral venue.

Group A

Team Pld W L D PF PA PD Pts Réalt na Mara 3 2 1 0 49 41 +8 4 Glenswilly 3 2 1 0 43 37 +6 4 Ard an Rátha 3 2 1 0 42 39 +3 4 Burt 3 0 3 0 24 41 -9 0 Round 1 9/9/2018 Ardara 2-6 - 0-10 Glenswilly Ard an Rátha Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 9/9/2018 Réalt na Mara 1-11 - 0-5 Burt Bundoran Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? Round 2 16/9/2018 Burt 0-11 - 1-12 Ard an Rátha Burt Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 16/9/2018 Glenswilly 2-15 - 2-11 Réalt na Mara Glenswilly Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? Round 3 23/9/2018 Glenswilly 1-9 - 1-5 Burt Glenswilly Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 23/9/2018 Ard an Rátha 4-3 - 2-12 Réalt na Mara Ard an Rátha Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

Group B

Team Pld W L D PF PA PD Pts Gaoth Dobhair 3 3 0 0 32 20 +12 6 Naomh Conaill 3 2 1 0 46 27 +19 4 St Eunan's 3 1 2 0 32 26 +6 2 An Clochán Liath 3 0 3 0 20 47 -27 0 Round 1 8/9/2018 Naomh Conaill 4-16 - 0-6 An Clochán Liath Glenties Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 9/9/2018 St Eunan's 1-6 - 0-10 Gaoth Dobhair O'Donnell Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? Round 2 15/9/2018 An Clochán Liath 0-4 - 1-11 St Eunan's An Clochán Liath Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 16/9/2018 Gaoth Dobhair 0-12 - 0-6 Naomh Conaill Gaoth Dobhair Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? Round 3 23/9/2018 Naomh Conaill 1-9 - 0-9 St Eunan's Glenties Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 23/9/2018 An Clochán Liath 0-5 - 0-10 Gaoth Dobhair An Clochán Liath Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

Group C

Team Pld W L D PF PA PD Pts St Michael's 3 3 0 0 62 24 +38 6 Four Masters 3 1 2 0 33 36 -3 2 Malin 3 1 2 0 38 47 -9 2 Termon 3 1 2 0 36 62 -26 2 Round 1 8/9/2018 Termon 0-9 - 3-16 St Michael's Termon Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 9/9/2018 Four Masters 1-10 - 0-6 Malin Pairc Tir Conaill Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? Round 2 15/9/2018 Malin 3-12 - 1-7 Termon Malin Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 16/9/2018 St Michael's 0-13 - 0-4 Four Masters Dunfanaghy Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? Round 3 22/9/2018 Termon 3-8 - 3-7 Four Masters Termon Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 22/9/2018 St Michael's 2-18 - 0-11 Malin Dunfanaghy Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

Group D

Team Pld W L D PF PA PD Pts Cill Chartha 3 3 0 0 54 36 +18 6 Seán Mac Cumhaills 3 2 1 0 59 52 +7 4 Na Cealla Beaga 3 1 2 0 39 46 -7 2 Milford 3 0 3 0 41 59 -17 0 Round 1 8/9/2018 Milford 1-16 - 4-13 Seán Mac Cumhaills Milford Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 9/9/2018 Na Cealla Beaga 0-11 - 2-9 Cill Chartha Na Cealla Beaga Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? Round 2 16/9/2018 Seán Mac Cumhaills 3-12 - 0-15 Na Cealla Beaga MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 16/9/2018 Cill Chartha 2-15 - 2-6 Milford Cill Chartha Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? Round 3 22/9/2018 Milford 0-10 - 1-10 Na Cealla Beaga ??? Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? 22/9/2018 Seán Mac Cumhaills 1-10 - 1-15 Cill Chartha MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

Knock-out stage

Quarter-finals

29 September 2018	Seán Mac Cumhaills	2-10 - 0-13	St Michael's	O'Donnell Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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29 September 2018	Glenswilly	0-12 - 0-5	Four Masters	MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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30 September 2018	Cill Chartha	0-6 - 1-9	Naomh Conaill	Páirc Tír Conaill Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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30 September 2018	Gaoth Dobhair	8-13 - 3-12	Réalt na Mara	MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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Semi-finals

6 October 2018	Naomh Conaill	1-11 - 0-12	Glenswilly	MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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7 October 2018	Gaoth Dobhair	3-14 - 1-7	Seán MacCumhaills	MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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Final

^[8]

21 October 2018 16:00	Gaoth Dobhair	0-17 - 1-7	Naomh Conaill	MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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Relegation play-offs

Relegation semi-finals

30 September 2018	An Clochán Liath	1-12 - 0-8	Burt	O'Donnell Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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30 September 2018	Termon	2-14 - 1-13	Milford	Dunfanaghy Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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Relegation final

6 October 2018	Milford	2-9 - 0-7	Burt	O'Donnell Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ???

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Ulster Senior Club Football Championship

Main articles: 2018 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship and 2018–19 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship

Gradam Shéamuis Mhic Géidigh

Odhrán Mac Niallais was named as the recipient of the annual Gradam Shéamuis Mhic Géidigh. ^[9]

References

1. "Ryan McHugh out for rest of year due to concussion". RTÉ Sport. 26 September 2018. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
2. Farrelly, Mark (26 September 2018). "Concussion Ends Ryan McHugh's Season". Ball.ie. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
3. "Ryan McHugh takes break under medical advice". Highland Radio. 26 September 2018. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
4. Roche, Frank (26 September 2018). "Ryan McHugh ruled out for remainder of 2018 after suffering second concussion". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
5. McNulty, Chris (26 September 2018). "Breaking: Ryan McHugh ruled out for rest of club championship". Donegal Sport Hub. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
6. "Donegal Democrat Archives". Irishnewsarchive.com. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
7. "Donegal GAA Club Draws". Donegalgaa.ie. 24 March 2018. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
8. "Donegal GAA: Gaoth Dobhair ease past MacCumhaills to book place in Senior Football Championship Final | Donegal Now". Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Archived 12 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine
9. "Odhrán Mac Niallais to receive 2018 Séamus Mac Géidigh Award". Highland Radio. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.