2019 season | |
---|---|
Manager | Declan Bonner |
Stadium | MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey |
NFL D2 | 2nd (promoted) |
All-Ireland SFC | Quarter-finalist |
Ulster SFC | Winners |
Dr McKenna Cup | Semi-finalist |
The following is a summary of Donegal county football team's 2019 season.
Two players started all 18 matches in 2019: these were Jamie Brennan and Hugh McFadden. Niall O'Donnell played each match too, though only as a substitute in the championship meeting with Fermanagh. Paul Brennan only missed one of the eighteen games, though he began just five of these. Jason McGee played in all matches except for the 2019 National Football League fixture with Cork, which he missed due to suspension.[1]
Oisín Gallen became an "impact sub" during the championship; this was despite him not being part of the Donegal panel at the start of the 2019 season. He was called up over the course of the McKenna Cup as Donegal were short on numbers.[1]
Aaron Doherty began training with the panel in April, shortly after Eoghan McGettigan joined.[2]
Cian Mulligan opted to depart from the panel.[3] Conor Morrison played six games in the 2019 season before deciding to depart in March.[3] In March, Martin McElhinney informed the team manager of his decision to withdraw from the panel, following the team's victory against Armagh in the 2019 National Football League. McElhinney had been an unused substitute in that game and the game before, though he had played in three earlier games of that year's league.[4] In April, Martin O'Reilly withdrew from the panel ahead of the 2019 Ulster Senior Football Championship after experiencing limited match time during the 2019 National Football League.[5]
Also opting to depart for the 2019 season were Kilcar trio Mark McHugh, Ciaran McGinley and Stephen McBrearty.[6] Following the death of a clubmate in a car accident in January 2019, Odhrán Mac Niallais opted out of the Donegal panel.[7]
Michael Carroll returned to the panel after leaving the previous year.[8]
The 2019 season started with a 0–21 to 0–11 defeat of Queen's in the 2019 Dr McKenna Cup at MacCumhail Park on 30 December 2018. Ciarán Thompson was man of the match and scored four of Donegal's points.[1]
Donegal qualified for the semi-final.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PR | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Donegal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 36 | 1.778 | 6 | Advance to semi-final |
2 | Cavan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 38 | 1.184 | 4 | |
3 | Down | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 52 | 41 | 1.268 | 2 | |
4 | Queen's University | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 68 | 0.324 | 0 |
30 December 2018 Round 1 | Donegal | 0-21 (21) – (11) 0-11 | Queen's University | Ballybofey | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: Páirc MacCumhaill | ||||
Report | Referee: Niall McKenna
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6 January 2019 Round 2 | Down | 0-10 (10) – (20) 1-17 | Donegal | Newry | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: Páirc Esler | ||||
Report |
|
9 January 2019 Round 3 | Donegal | 1-20 (23) – (15) 1-12 | Cavan | Ballybofey | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: Páirc MacCumhaill | ||||
|
Neil McGee equalled Colm McFadden's record of 173 appearances for Donegal when he came on as a second half substitute in the final round of the 2019 National Football League, a victory over Kildare.[9] He then broke McFadden's record with his 174th appearance for his county against Meath as a substitute in the final at Croke Park, also won by Donegal.[10]
Donegal qualified for the Division 2 final, and won the game.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Meath | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 111 | 84 | +27 | 12 | Advance to Division 2 Final |
2 | Donegal | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 112 | 94 | +18 | 10 | |
3 | Fermanagh | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 69 | 74 | −5 | 8 | |
4 | Kildare | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 87 | 93 | −6 | 7 | |
5 | Armagh | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 101 | 97 | +4 | 6 | |
6 | Clare | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 107 | 113 | −6 | 5 | |
7 | Cork | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 91 | 112 | −21 | 5 | Relegation to Division 3 |
8 | Tipperary | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 99 | 110 | −11 | 3 |
27 January 2019 Round 1 | Clare | 0-13 (13) – (16) 0-16 | Donegal | Ennis | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: Cusack Park | ||||
Report | Referee: Padraig O'Sullivan (Kerry)
|
2 February 2019 Round 2 | Donegal | 1-13 (16) – (14) 0-14 | Meath | Ballybofey | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
19:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: MacCumhaill Park | ||||
Report | Referee: Jerome Henry (Meath)
|
10 February 2019 Round 3 | Tipperary | 3-09 (18) – (13) 0-13 | Donegal | Thurles | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: Semple Stadium | ||||
Report Report |
|
24 February 2019 Round 4 | Donegal | 0-10 (10) – (13) 0-13 | Fermanagh | Letterkenny | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: O'Donnell Park | ||||
Report |
|
2 March 2019 Round 5 | Donegal | 1-09 (12) – (11) 0-11 | Armagh | Ballybofey | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
19:15 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: MacCumhaill Park | ||||
Report |
|
16 March 2019 Round 6 | Cork | 1-12 (15) – (22) 1-19 | Donegal | Cork | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: Pairc Uí Rinn | ||||
Report |
|
24 March 2019 Round 7 | Donegal | 1-20 (23) – 0-10 (10) | Kildare | Ballyshannon | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Venue: Fr Tierney Park | ||||
Report |
|
Meath | 1-15 (18) – (20) 1-17 | Donegal |
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Donegal retained the Ulster title.
Preliminary round 12 May 2019 | Quarter-finals 18, 19, 25, 26 May 2019 | Semi-finals 2 & 8 June 2019 | Final 23 June 2019 | ||||||||||||||||
Cavan | 1-13 | ||||||||||||||||||
Monaghan | 0-12 | ||||||||||||||||||
Cavan (R) | 0-17 0-23 | ||||||||||||||||||
Armagh (R) | 1-14 0-17 | ||||||||||||||||||
Down | 3-13 | ||||||||||||||||||
Armagh | 2-17 | ||||||||||||||||||
Cavan | 2-16 | ||||||||||||||||||
Donegal | 1-24 | ||||||||||||||||||
Fermanagh | 0-09 | ||||||||||||||||||
Donegal | 0-15 | ||||||||||||||||||
Donegal | 1-16 | ||||||||||||||||||
Tyrone | 0-15 | ||||||||||||||||||
Antrim | 2-09 | ||||||||||||||||||
Tyrone | 1-19 | Tyrone | 2-23 | ||||||||||||||||
Derry | 1-13 |
Fermanagh | 0-09 (09) – (15) 0-15 | Donegal |
---|---|---|
(HT: 0-4 – 0-5) | ||
Pts: Ultan Kelm 2, Conall Jones 2 (2f), Ciaran Corrigan 2, Ryan Jones 1, Seán Quigley 1, Barry Mulrone 1 |
Pts: Patrick McBrearty 5 (2f), Jamie Brennan 4, Michael Murphy 2, Michael Langan 1, Jason McGee 1, Leo McLoone 1, Ciarán Thompson 1 |
Donegal | 1-16 (19) – (15) 0-15 | Tyrone |
---|---|---|
(HT: 1-9 – 0-5) | ||
Gls: Jamie Brennan 1 Pts: Michael Murphy 5 (2f, 1 '45'), Jamie Brennan 3, Patrick McBrearty 3 (1f), Ryan McHugh 1, Michael Langan 1, Eoin McHugh 1, Hugh McFadden 1, Stephen McMenamin 1 |
Pts: Cathal McShane 4 (3f), Darren McCurry 3 (1f), Richard Donnelly 2, Kieran McGeary 2, Niall Morgan 2 (1f, 1 '45'), Michael Cassidy 1, Mattie Donnelly 1 |
Cavan | 2-16 (22) – (27) 1-24 | Donegal |
---|---|---|
(HT: 0-5 – 0-13) | ||
Gls: Conor Madden 1, Stephen Murray 1 Pts: Gearoid McKiernan 6 (2f), Dara McVeety 3, Conor Moynagh 1, Conor Brady 1, Oisin Pierson 1, Conor Madden 1, Cian Mackey 1, Caoimhin O'Reilly 1, Jack Brady 1 |
Gls: Jamie Brennan 1 Pts: Patrick McBrearty 5 (1f), Jamie Brennan 4, Michael Murphy 4 (2f), Jason McGee 2, Ciarán Thompson 2, Ryan McHugh 1, Eoghan Bán Gallagher 1, Hugh McFadden 1, Niall O'Donnell 1, Michael Langan 1, Daire Ó Baoill 1, Oisín Gallen 1 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kerry | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 72 | 54 | +18 | 5 | Advance to semi-finals |
2 | Mayo | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 55 | 52 | +3 | 4 | |
3 | Donegal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 61 | 56 | +5 | 3 | |
4 | Meath | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 46 | 72 | −26 | 0 |
14 July 2019 Phase 1 | Donegal | 2-19 (25) – (16) 1-13 | Meath | Ballybofey | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14:00 IST (UTC+1) | (HT: 1-9 – 0-8) | Venue: MacCumhaill Park | |||
Gls: Patrick McBrearty 1, Oisín Gallen 1 Pts: Patrick McBrearty 6 (2f), Michael Murphy 3 (1 '45'), Jamie Brennan 3, Ryan McHugh 2, Oisín Gallen 1, Niall O'Donnell 1, Michael Langan 1, Jason McGee 1, Eoin McHugh 1 |
Report | Gls: Mickey Newman 1 (1p) Pts: Bryan McMahon 0-3, Mickey Newman 2 (1f), Cillian O'Sullivan 2, Bryan Menton 2, James Conlon 1, James McEntee 1, Shane McEntee 1, Darragh Campion 1 |
Referee: Conor Lane (Cork) TV: Sky Sports
|
21 July 2019 Phase 2 | Kerry | 1-20 (23) – (23) 1-20 | Donegal | Dublin | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
16:00 IST (UTC+1) | (HT: 0-10 – 0-9) | Venue: Croke Park | |||
Gls: Paul Geaney 1 Pts: Paul Geaney 4, Sean O'Shea 4 (3f), David Clifford 3 (1f), Stephen O’Brien 3, Killian Spillane 3, Tom O’Sullivan 1, Jason Foley 1, Paul Murphy 1 |
Report | Gls: Michael Murphy 1 (1p) Pts: Michael Murphy 7 (4f), Patrick McBrearty 5 (3f), Ryan McHugh 2, Oisín Gallen 2, Michael Langan 2, Jason McGee 1, Niall O’Donnell 1 |
Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon) TV: RTÉ
|
3 August 2019 Phase 3 | Mayo | 1-14 (17) – (13) 1-10 | Donegal | Castlebar | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
18:00 IST (UTC+1) | (HT: 1-7 – 0-4) | Venue: MacHale Park | |||
Gls: Cillian O’Connor 1 Pts: Cillian O’Connor 4 (4f), Paddy Durcan 3, James Carr 2, Andy Moran 2, Jason Doherty 1, Chris Barrett 1, Kevin McLoughlin 1 |
Report | Gls: Michael Murphy 1 (1p) Pts: Michael Murphy 4 (2f) Paddy McBrearty 2, Niall O’Donnell 2, Daire Ó Baoill 2 |
Referee: David Gough (Meath) Attendance: 27,369 TV: Sky Sports
|
Shaun Patton, Stephen McMenamin, Paddy McGrath, Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Michael Murphy, Jamie Brennan and Patrick McBrearty were all included, and Murphy was named Player of the Year.[38]
The Sunday Game selected Michael Murphy on its Team of the Year.[39]
Michael Murphy won an All Star.[citation needed] Shaun Patton, Stephen McMenamin, Ryan McHugh, Jamie Brennan and Patrick McBrearty were also nominated.[40]
Pos. | Player | Team | Appearances |
---|---|---|---|
GK | Stephen CluxtonFOTY | Dublin | 6 |
RCB | Michael Fitzsimons | Dublin | 2 |
FB | Ronan McNamee | Tyrone | 1 |
LCB | Tom O'Sullivan | Kerry | 1 |
RWB | Patrick Durcan | Mayo | 1 |
CB | Brian Howard | Dublin | 2 |
LWB | Jack McCaffrey | Dublin | 4 |
MD | Brian Fenton | Dublin | 4 |
MD | David Moran | Kerry | 2 |
RWF | Paul Mannion | Dublin | 3 |
CF | Seán O'Shea | Kerry | 1 |
LWF | Michael Murphy | Donegal | 3 |
RCF | David Clifford | Kerry | 2 |
FF | Cathal McShane | Tyrone | 1 |
LCF | Con O'Callaghan | Dublin | 2 |
The Naomh Columba man trained with Donegal last night for the first time, Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub can reveal… Bonner has also called up Naomh Conaill forward Eoghan McGettigan. Last week, McGettigan joined the senior ranks for the first time and, like Doherty, is now vying for a place in the Championship plans.
Neil McGee was introduced to equal the Donegal appearances record of Colm McFadden on 173.
The Gaoth Dobhair full back broke the record for Donegal appearances on Saturday as he was launched from the bench in the first half to take to the field for the 174th time in a Donegal shirt…
Donegal manager Declan Bonner together with assistant manager Paul McGonigle, coach Gary Boyle and selector Stephen Rochford before the McKenna Cup match against Queens at Ballybofey on Sunday December 30, 2018.
Rochford replaces Karl Lacey, who recently stepped away from the Donegal set up citing family reasons.
But Paul Fisher, the man who has overseen that programme for the last six years has reluctantly decided that it is time to move on. With a gym to run, a family to support and a Masters to complete, the Letterkenny native has stepped down after playing a vital role in the successes of managers Jim McGuinness, Rory Gallagher and Declan Bonner.
'But the Donegal medical team were on the ball right away. I'd two missed calls from Cathal Ellis before I even got my phone in my hand… Dr Kevin Moran organised the MRI for the Wednesday… Morrison anticipated bad news and was braced for the confirmation of Donegal physio Cathal Ellis' earlier prognosis.