Donegal Senior Football Championship | |
---|---|
Current season or competition: 2024 Donegal Senior Football Championship | |
Irish | Craobh Peil Sinsear Dhún na nGall |
Founded | 1920 |
Title holders | St Eunan's (16th title) |
Most titles | St Eunan's (16 titles) |
Sponsors | Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure [1] & RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta |
The Donegal Senior Football Championship (abbreviated as Donegal SFC) is an annual football competition organised by Donegal GAA and contested by the highest-level clubs, to determine the best team in County Donegal. Since 2016, it has been known as Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure Donegal SFC after its headline sponsor.
Initially a straight knock-out competition, the Donegal SFC added a round-robin group stage in 2013. The final is played at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey. The winning club qualifies to represent its county in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship, the winners of which go on to compete in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship.
The winning club receives the Dr Maguire Cup. The competition has been won by 17 clubs, 14 of which have won it more than once. Gaoth Dobhair and St Eunan's are the most successful clubs, with 15 titles apiece. The most recent team to win the competition for a first time is Glenswilly: in 2011 (followed by further title wins in 2013 and 2016). The most recent first-time finalist (with no title win) is St Michael's, also in 2011.
The reigning champion are St Eunan's, having defeated An Clochán Liath in the 2024 final. [2]
The 1996 Donegal SFC has been described as "probably the greatest ever championship in Donegal", with Na Cealla Beaga playing nine games to lift the trophy that year. [3]
The 1997 Donegal SFC descended into controversy when St Eunan's, having beaten Aodh Ruadh in the final by a scoreline of 1–11 to 2–7, had the title stripped from them — due to St Eunan's fielding Leslie McGettigan, an illegal player. [4] The affair made the national press and its effects continued for many months, into the following year. [5]
In 2002, Na Cealla Beaga were thrown out of the Donegal SFC at the semi-final stage — after also being accused of fielding an illegal player, with New York again at the centre of the dispute. The player — Peter McGinley — as well as the club's chairman and secretary were banned for one year. Assistant secretary Bernard Conaghan (reported the Irish Independent ) said: "We were careful not to play this player until his papers came through from New York. We sat him out for a league game and our first Championship match, we did everything we thought possible to make sure he was legal and now this has happened, it's a terrible blow". [6] The final of that competition was not played until 2003 due to a disagreement between Ard an Rátha and Naomh Adhamhnáin over Eddie Brennan. [7]
In 2008, Termon — described in national newspaper the Sunday Independent as "one of the smallest if not the smallest" in the county — reached an SFC final for the first time in their history. [8]
Jim McGuinness assisted Naomh Conaill to success in the 2000s before becoming an All-Ireland SFC winning manager with Donegal. [9] Naomh Conaill, as county champions, made it all the way to the final of the 2010 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship by defeating Cavan champions Kingscourt in the preliminary round, Monaghan champions Clontibret O'Neills in the first round proper, and Tyrone champions Coalisland in the semi-final. [10]
Naomh Conaill was also involved in the 2020 Championship final saga, which did not conclude until 2022. [11] [12] [13]
The old format, which involved a two-legged first round, was scrapped ahead of the 2013 Donegal SFC in favour of an opening round containing four groups of four teams played out as a league and one team relegated. [14] Two of the four teams in each group advance to the (one-legged) quarter-finals after each have played the others once. The four winning quarter-finalists advance to the (one-legged) semi-finals and the winners advanced to the (one-legged) final.
Teams finishing bottom of their group play two relegation semi-finals. The losing relegation semi-final teams met in the relegation final. The losing team is relegated to the Donegal Intermediate Football Championship (Donegal IFC) to be replaced by the IFC-winning team.
The format was retained for 2014. [15]
A "League Stage" was adopted for the 2020 competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic bringing play to a halt earlier, and restricting play later, in the year.
The Donegal SFC winners qualify for the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship. It is the only team from County Donegal to qualify for this competition. The Donegal SFC winners may enter the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship at either the preliminary round or the quarter-final stage. Teams to have qualified for the final of that competition include Na Cealla Beaga, Naomh Conaill, Glenswilly and Gaoth Dobhair. [16] [17] [18]
The Donegal SFC winners – by winning the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship – may qualify for the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship, at which they would enter at the semi-final stage. The last team from County Donegal to do this was Gaoth Dobhair in 2018; they were knocked out by reigning (and eventual) All-Ireland champions Corofin.
# | Team | Location | Wins | Years won | Last final lost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16 | 1948, 1956, 1960, 1967, 1969, 1972, 1983, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, 2024 | |||
2 | 15 | 1935, 1938, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1961, 2002, 2006, 2018 | |||
3 | 12 | 1929, 1932, 1937, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1951, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1997, 1998 | 1999 | ||
4 | Bundoran and Ballyshannon | 8 | 1965, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 | 1969 | |
5 | 7 | 1930, 1931, 1933, 1936, 1940, 1957, 1958 | 2024 | ||
2005, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 | |||||
7 | 6 | 1923, 1926, 1928, 1981, 2000, 2004 | 1984 | ||
1925, 1980, 1985, 1989, 1993, 2017 | |||||
1952, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 | |||||
Seán MacCumhaills | Ballybofey and Stranorlar | 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1971, 1977 | 2004 | ||
11 | Bundoran | 3 | 1920, 1934, 1979 | 1935 | |
1982, 1984, 2003 | 2001 | ||||
Glenswilly | 2011, 2013, 2016 | ||||
14 | 2 | 1978, 1990 | 1998 | ||
15 | Caisleán na Finne | 1 | 1922 | — | |
Baile Dhún na nGall | Donegal | 1924 | 1954 | ||
Letterkenny | 1927 | 1930 | |||
Two clubs have completed a Donegal SFC four-in-a-row: these were Gaoth Dobhair (1944, 1945, 1946, 1947) and Naomh Iósaef/St Joseph's (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976).
Three clubs have completed a Donegal SFC three-in-a-row: these were Gaoth Dobhair (1953, 1954, 1955), Seán Mac Cumhaills (1962, 1963, 1964) and St Eunan's (2007, 2008, 2009).
Na Cealla Beaga have won consecutive Donegal SFCs on two occasions (1991, 1992 and 1995, 1996).
A merger between Aodh Ruadh and the less successful Réalt na Mara resulted in the formation of the hugely successful Naomh Iósaef/St Joseph's, who dominated Donegal club football in the 1960s and 1970s winning consecutive Donegal SFCs (1970, 1971) and a 'Four in a Row' between 1973 and 1976. Aodh Ruadh have won consecutive Donegal SFCs on their own on three occasions (1942 & 1943; 1986 & 1987; and 1997 & 1998).
(r) = replay
(aet) = after extra time
Matches are covered live throughout the county on Highland Radio.
Some matches are also covered by Ocean FM (if they involve teams from its area) alongside its coverage of sport in the neighbouring counties of Sligo and Leitrim. [54]
Newspapers such as the Donegal Democrat , Donegal News and Donegal People's Press provide extensive coverage of the competition.
Live matches from the competition have been shown on Irish-language national television service TG4 as part of its GAA Beo programme. Highlights have been shown on the GAA... programme on Monday evenings on the same channel.
RTÉ began showing the Donegal SFC to English-language viewers on television in 2019. [55]
With interest in the sport at an all-time high following the county's showing in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final, the final of the 2012 Donegal SFC was broadcast live on TG4. [56]
Coverage of the final may be found in newspapers such as The Irish Times , Irish Examiner and Irish Independent the following day.
A player of the year award has been given since 2016. Its title commemorates the RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta broadcaster Séamus Mac Géidigh. A committee of sports journalists decides the winner. [57]
It is carved to resemble Errigal. [58] It is made from Donegal granite. [58] It has an engraving of Séamus Mac Géidigh on its front. [58]
Year | Player | Club |
---|---|---|
2016 [59] | Michael Murphy | Glenswilly |
2017 [60] [61] [62] | Mark McHugh | Cill Chartha |
2018 [63] | Odhrán Mac Niallais | Gaoth Dobhair |
2019 [64] | Ciarán Thompson | Naomh Conaill |
2020 [note 1] | — | — |
2021 [65] | Caolan Ward | St Eunan's |
2022 [66] | Brendan McDyer | Naomh Conaill |
2023 [67] | Oisín Gallen | Seán Mac Cumhaills |
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It's easy to forget now but McGee has experienced similar disappointment where a Donegal SFC final was left in limbo and, in the end, not finished in the same calendar year it began. The 2002 SFC in the county was held up due to a spat between the Ardara and St Eunan's clubs over a saga that will forever be recalled as the Eddie Brennan affair. The final, between the Letterkenny men and Gaoth Dobhair, was eventually settled in February of 2003 with McGee and the Magheragallon side coming out on top… 'I've three medals at home [2006 and 2018] but one of them, in my mind at least, that is a wee bit tainted'.
We might profitably have a look at the kind of club Termon is. For a start, it's one of the smallest if not the smallest in Donegal. It's the kind of place you'd expect to produce, at a pinch, a decent junior team.
The Towney outfit's appeal was lodged with the Donegal GAA's Competitions Controls Committee (CCC) on Tuesday evening.
Naomh Conaill were allowed to keep their title even though they were fined for fielding too many substitutes in their penalty shoot-out win last October, a decision which Kilcar grudgingly accepted even though it clearly rankled with the club.
'We had gone into the [1991] final as the hot favourites but Red Hugh's had a very good team at the time and they were very unlucky not to win a championship in those years', said Jimmy White, who had taken over from John Joe O'Shea at the beginning of 1991. Kerryman John Joe O'Shea, a teacher at Killybegs Vocational School, had masterminded the 1988 success after a number of years of great success at underage level. 'I [White] was just thinking the other day how things have changed since 1991, when you look at the large numbers in managements and backroom teams nowadays. 'In '91, I was player manager. I had no selectors and Michael Gallagher trained the team'.
Speculation as to [McGowan's] successor has already begun… Selectors from '92, Seamus Bonner and Micahel[sic] Lafferty have also been mentioned, as has Padraig[sic] McShea, a close associate and former playing colleague of McEniff's, who impressed when coaching Killybegs to a county title last year.
It was the perfect result for Ardara manager John McConnell, who was county chairman the last time his club won in 2000. On that occasion, he handed the Dr Maguire Cup to Eamon Doherty.
And having written their own piece of club history last month when they won back-to-back championship crowns for the first time, the team of 2008 are also chasing a league and championship double for the second year in-a-row.
O'Donnell followed that up with a pat on Mac Ceallabhuí and, to the surprise of everyone in MacCumhaill Park, was sent off by referee Mark Dorrian.
Naomh Conaill captain Kevin McGettigan paid tribute to the people of Creeslough just before he lifted the Dr Maguire Cup…
It was level when St Eunan's midfielder Kevin Kealy prodded to the net in the 50th minute, but man of the match Thompson slammed over immediately as if to throw down a marker.
A huge crowd is expected at MacCumhaill Park at a time when Gaelic games in the county have never had a higher profile. Nothing beats being there, as the GAA slogan goes, but for the neutrals who can't be in Ballybofey, the game is live on TG4 from throw-in at 4pm.
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.