| Season | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Champions | St Eunan's (15th title) |
| Winning captain | Niall O'Donnell [1] |
| Man of the Match | Shane O'Donnell [2] |
| Winning manager | Rory Kavanagh |
| Matches played | 46 [3] |
← 2020 2022 → | |
The 2021 Donegal Senior Football Championship was the 99th official edition of Donegal GAA's premier Gaelic football tournament for senior graded clubs in County Donegal. 16 teams competed, with the winner representing Donegal in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.
Naomh Conaill was defending champion after defeating Cill Chartha in a penalty competition held after extra-time of the 2020 final.
Naomh Conaill advanced to the 2021 final, but lost to St Eunan's.
The following teams changed division since the 2020 championship season.
To S.F.C.Promoted from 2020 Donegal I.F.C.
| From S.F.C.Relegated to 2021 Donegal I.F.C.
|
The competition began with a league stage. [4] The draw for the first two rounds was held in June 2021, with the identity of the 2020 Championship winner still unknown, a first such event in the competition's history. [5]
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | D | F | A | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLG Chill Chartha | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 29 | +44 | 8 | Advance to |
| 2 | Naomh Conaill | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 65 | 42 | +23 | 7 | |
| 3 | Gaoth Dobhair | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 81 | 50 | +31 | 6 | |
| 4 | St Eunan's | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 66 | 42 | +24 | 6 | |
| 5 | CLG Naomh Náille | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 44 | +16 | 6 | |
| 6 | St Michael's | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 59 | +0 | 6 | |
| 7 | Aodh Ruadh Ballyshannon | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 63 | 26 | +7 | 5 | |
| 8 | Seán Mac Cumhaills | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 62 | 52 | +8 | 4 | |
| 9 | Gleann Fhinne | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 45 | +5 | 4 | Advance to |
| 10 | Gleann tSúilí | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 56 | 52 | +4 | 4 | |
| 11 | Réalt na Mara | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 53 | 58 | -5 | 2 | |
| 12 | CLG Na Cealla Beaga | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 67 | -20 | 2 | |
| 13 | Ardara | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 69 | -24 | 2 | |
| 14 | Milford | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 83 | -32 | 2 | |
| 15 | Termon | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 75 | -35 | 0 | |
| 16 | Four Masters | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 79 | -46 | 0 |
| 12 September 2021 13:30 | Na Cealla Beaga | 1–7 — 1–13 [4] | Glenswilly | Eamonn Byrne Memorial Park Man of the Match: ??? |
| 12 September 2021 15:00 | Ard an Rátha | 1–10 — 2–6 [4] | Réalt na Mara | Pearse Memorial Park Man of the Match: ??? |
| 12 September 2021 15:30 | Gaoth Dobhair | 4–21 — 2–7 [4] | Milford | Machaire Gathlán Man of the Match: ??? |
| 12 September 2021 18:00 | St Eunan's | 1–12 — 1–14 [4] | Kilcar | O'Donnell Park Man of the Match: ??? |
| 18 September 2021 14:00 | Naomh Conaill | 0–11 — 0–08 | Glenfin | Davy Brennan Memorial Park Man of the Match: ??? |
| National report Local report |
| 19 September 2021 14:00 | St Naul's | 1–11 — ?–?? | Termon | Páirc Gearoid Ó'Gallochoir Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
| 19 September 2021 14:00 [7] | Four Masters | ?–?? — ?–?? | Aodh Ruadh | Páirc Tírconaill Man of the Match: ??? |
| 19 September 2021 16:00 | Seán MacCumhaills | 2–06 — 1–11 | St Michael's | Páirc Sheáin MhicCumhaill Man of the Match: Colm McFadden |
| 25 September 2021 15:00 | Milford | 1–15 — 1–13 | Ard an Rátha | Moyle Park Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
| 25 September 2021 15:30 | St Michael's | 1–08 — 2–17 | Gaoth Dobhair | The Bridge Man of the Match: ??? |
| 25 September 2021 16:00 | Termon | ?–?? — ?–?? | St Eunan's | Termon Man of the Match: ??? |
| 25 September 2021 16:30 | Réalt na Mara | 1–18 — ?–?? | Na Cealla Beaga | Gaelic Park Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
| 26 September 2021 14:00 | Glenswilly | ?–?? — ?–?? | Seán MacCumhaills | Páirc Naomh Columba Man of the Match: ??? |
| 26 September 2021 14:00 | Glenfin | 1–09 — 0–11 | St Naul's | Páirc Tabhoige Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
| 26 September 2021 14:00 | Aodh Ruadh | 1–10 — 2–07 | Naomh Conaill | Fr Tierney Park Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
| 26 September 2021 17:30 | Kilcar | 1–17 — 0–03 | Four Masters | Páirc Taobhoige Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
The Round 3 draw was made on 26 September, giving the following fixtures: Ard an Rátha v Kilcar, Seán MacCumhaills v Réalt na Mara, Naomh Conaill v Termon, St Naul's v Glenswilly, Gaoth Dobhair v Glenfin, Na Cealla Beaga v Milford, St Eunan's v Aodh Ruadh and Four Masters v St Michael's. [8]
The Round 4 draw was made in early October, giving the following fixtures: Kilcar v Gaoth Dobhair, Aodh Ruadh v Ard an Rátha, Réalt na Mara v St Eunan's, Termon v Seán MacCumhaills, Glenswilly v Naomh Conaill, St Michael's v Na Cealla Beaga, Glenfin v Four Masters and Milford v St Naul's. Three clubs had by then advanced to the knockout stages – Gaoth Dobhair, Kilcar and Naomh Conaill. Going into Round 4, played on the weekend of October 9, St Eunan's, Glenswilly, St Naul's, St Michael's and Aodh Ruadh sat in the remaining five places. [9]
Gaoth Dobhair and Naomh Conaill, the last two clubs to win the competition, were paired with each other in the quarter-final draw. Seán MacCumhaills and Kilcar met in the other quarter-final on that side of the draw. On the other side of the draw St Eunan's and St Naul's played each other in one quarter-final, while St Michael's and Aodh Ruadh played each other in the other quarter-final. [11]
| 16 October 2021 Quarter-final | Kilcar | 1–17 — 0–02 | Seán MacCumhaills | Pearse Memorial Park, Ardara Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs) Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
| 16? October 2021 Quarter-final | St Michael's | 0–00 — 0–00 | Aodh Ruadh | ??? Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |
| 17 October 2021 Quarter-final | St Eunan's | 2–12 — 2–05 | St Naul's | ??? Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gael Fhánada) Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
| 17 October 2021 Quarter-final | Naomh Conaill | 1–10 — 0–08 | Gaoth Dobhair | MacCumhaill Park Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary's, Convoy) Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
The semi-final meeting of Kilcar and Naomh Conaill was shown live to a national audience on TG4. [12] Naomh Conaill won, after a late Patrick McBrearty goal that would have brought the sides level, was ruled out. [13]
| 23 October 2021 Semi-final | St Eunan's | 0–10 — 0–05 | St Michael's | MacCumhaill Park Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gael Fhánada) Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
| 24 October 2021 Semi-final | Naomh Conaill | 0–11 — 0–8 | Kilcar | O'Donnell Park Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary's, Convoy) Man of the Match: ??? |
| Report |
It was Naomh Conaill's fifth consecutive appearance in the final. [11] The game was televised live on TG4. [13] A minute's silence was held before the game in memory of Martin Griffin, whose sudden death occurred the previous day. [1] [14] St Eunan's won. [1]
| 7 November 2021 3:15pm [13] Final | St Eunan's | 1–11 — 0–4 | Naomh Conaill | MacCumhaill Park Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary's, Convoy) [1] Man of the Match: Shane O'Donnell [2] |
| Report |
Eight clubs (Glenfin, Glenswilly, Réalt na Mara, Ard an Rátha, Milford, Na Cealla Beaga, Termon and Four Masters) entered the draw for the relegation play-offs once the quarter-final line-up was confirmed. [10]
St Eunan's advanced to the 2021 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.
Watty Graham's knocked St Eunan's out of that competition with an injury time point from Danny Tallon winning the game at O'Donnell Park, despite St Eunan's scoring the only goal and leading for much of the game and Shaun Patton saving a penalty. [15]
Caolan Ward was named as the recipient of the annual Gradam Shéamuis Mhic Géidigh. [16]
The following matches were broadcast live on national television, unless otherwise indicated:
| Round | RTÉ | TG4 |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals [12] | — | Naomh Conaill v Kilcar |
| Final [13] | — | St Eunan's v Naomh Conaill |
| Rank | Player | Club | Tally | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kane Barrett | Milford | 2–25 | 31 |
| 2 | Michael Murphy | Glenswilly | 0–28 | 28 |
| Cian McEniff | Réalt na Mara | 2–22 | ||
| 4 | Oisín Gallen | Seán MacCumhaills | 1–23 | 26 |
| 5 | Gerard Ward | Glenfin | 0–23 | 23 |
| Philip Patton | Aodh Ruadh | |||
| 7 | Niall O'Donnell | St Eunan's | 1–19 | 22 |
| Charles McGuinness | Naomh Conaill | |||
| Patrick McBrearty | Kilcar | |||
| Stephen McBrearty | 0–22 | |||
| 11 | Michael Langan | St Michael's | 2–15 | 21 |
| Daire McDaid | Termon | 1–18 | ||
| 13 | Eoin McGeehin | St Eunan's | 3–10 | 19 |
| 14 | Peadar Mogan | St Naul's | 0–18 | 18 |
| 15 | Stefan Boyle | Ard an Rátha | 2–11 | 17 |
| C. J. Molloy | ||||
| Colm A. McFadden | St Michael's | 1–14 | ||
| Ryan McFadden | Termon | 0–17 | ||
A special mention has to go to Shane O'Donnell, who scored 1–3 last Sunday [in the Under 21 Final]. I don't know if anyone has ever won man-of-the-match in a senior county final and in an Under 21 final in the one year before. It is a remarkable achievement.
Total Scored in 2021 Championship 82–1001 (1247pts) 2020 total was 98–956 (1250pts) Total games played = 46 (42 in 2020) Scoring average per match = 27.1pts (29.76pts in 2020) Total number different scorers = 226 + 2 Own goals by opponents (201 in 2020) Top scoring goalie is again Andrew Walsh Glenfin 0.04 Seven of last year's players feature this year in scoring charts. Six of current county senior panel make the [2021] list. [Ed: These seem to have been M. Murphy, O. Gallen, N. O'Donnell, P. McBrearty, M. Langan and P. Mogan, in descending order with 'Top 18 Scorers' given by Edward Molloy for 2021].
Aodh Ruadh make their long-awaited return to senior championship this weekend. Four Masters will be the opposition for both our seniors and reserves. The seniors take on the Donegal town men in Tir Chonaill Park on Sunday at 2pm, with that game being followed by the reserves at 3.30pm.
With fireworks expected to fly, it's no surprise that the live TG4 cameras are rolling into Letterkenny on Sunday for what is being billed as a grudge match between the two form sides in this year's Donegal SFC.
Naomh Conaill will face St Eunan's in the final at 3.15pm on Sunday 7th November live on TG4.
This is the first time the award has been presented since 2019 due to the pandemic. Cathal Mac Grianna will present Caolan with the award at St Eunan's Annual Dinner Dance on Friday.