2023 Donegal county football team season

The following is a summary of Donegal county football team's 2023 season.

Neil McGee retired from inter-county football at the end of the 2022 season with a record 195 appearances for the team, announcing his decision, shortly before his 37th birthday, in an exclusive interview given to Frank Craig and published in the Donegal News on 29 September 2022.

Paddy Carr was announced as manager on 24 October, succeeding Declan Bonner, with Aidan O'Rourke joining as head coach at the same time.

Michael Murphy, who had captained his county since the 2011 season, announced his retirement from inter-county football on 16 November 2022. He released a statement via the county board. Murphy's retirement, at the age of 33, was unexpected. The Irish Times stated: "For new manager Paddy Carr it is as bad a start as one can imagine, like picking up a Porsche only to discover it comes without an engine or a steering wheel".

Declan McIntyre succeeded James Gallagher as goalkeeping coach.

In January 2023, it was announced that Patrick McBrearty would succeed the retired michael Murphy as team Donegal team captain.

After not playing until that point in the season due to injury, Ryan McHugh confirmed his departure from the panel in early April (ahead of the championship), due to a combination of injury and an employment offer that involved travelling abroad.

List of players

The McKenna Cup group draw took place on Tuesday night, 13 December 2022. Held at the Glenavon Hotel in Cookstown, the draw was seeded to prevent too many fixtures between teams in the same divisions of the National Football League (four of the nine teams were to play in Division 1, while four of the other five teams were to play in Division 3).

In the first week of January 2023, Carr revealed his first starting line-up as manager.

Kane Barrett, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride, Luke McGlynn, Johnny McGroddy, Jack McSharry, John Ross Molloy, Brian O'Donnell, Hugh O'Donnell and Joel Bradley Walsh all made their senior inter-county debuts against Down, while Gavin Mulreany was named as starting goalkeeper for the game against Monaghan, which also saw the first inclusions in the panel of such players as Philip Doherty (Naomh Columba), Kealan Dunleavy (Glenswilly) and Kieran Tobin (St Eunan's).

Donegal began with a home fixture against 2022 league and 2022 All-Ireland champions Kerry. Many players were missing, including Peadar Mogan (studying in Liverpool), Ethan O'Donnell (wanting to travel in 2023), Oisín Gallen and Michael Langan (both injured), Ciarán Thompson (who had a new injury), and Shane O'Donnell (unspecified). Despite this, Donegal defeated Kerry, in a game when Caolan McColgan kicked three points on his debut and was named man-of-the-match.

Hugh McFadden made his 101st appearance for Donegal against Monaghan in the 2023 National Football League, when he also captained the team; Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Oisín Gallen and Michael Langan started for the first time in 2023, replacing Jamie Grant, Johnny McGroddy and Patrick McBrearty, while Peadar Mogan and Rory O'Donnell were listed among the substitutes.

League appearances by other new players included: Mark Curran and Johnny McGroddy started against Kerry. Luke McGlynn made a substitute appearance against Kerry.

Mark Curran and Johnny McGroddy started against Tyrone. Jamie Grant, Joel Bradley Walsh and Brian O'Donnell made substitute appearances.

Mark Curran started against Monaghan. Luke McGlynn, Rory O'Donnell and Johnny McGroddy made substitute appearances.

Mark Curran started against Galway. Rory O'Donnell and Johnny McGroddy made substitute appearances.

Mark Curran and C. O'Dowd started against Armagh. Rory O'Donnell made a substitute appearance.

Mark Curran started against Mayo. Rory O'Donnell, Joel Bradley Walsh and Kane Barrett made substitute appearances.

Mark Curran, John Ross Molloy and Johnny McGroddy started against Roscommon. Kieran Tobin, Kealan Dunleavy, Joel Bradley Walsh and Brian O'Donnell made substitute appearances.

The draw for the 2023 Ulster Championship was made on 15 October 2022.

Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí missed the 2023 championship games against Down and Clare because he was studying for exams.

Goalkeeper Gavin Mulreany made his senior championship debut for Donegal as a substitute against Tyrone in the All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final, as a result of Shaun Patton losing his discipline and being issued with a red card after he kicked a Tyrone player.

16 teams were divided into 4 groups of 4 teams, and played a round robin to qualify for the knockout stages of the All-Ireland SFC. Group games took place between 20 May and 18 June 2023.

Numbers in brackets indicate ranking in the 2023 NFL.

• 31 January: Caolan McColgan (nominated for, and selected as, Footballer of the Week)
• 27 February: Caolan McColgan
• 22 May: Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Oisín Gallen, Ciarán Thompson; Gallen nominated for Footballer of the Week
• 4 June: Oisín Gallen
• 19 June: Shaun Patton, Brendan McCole; McCole nominated for Footballer of the Week

Oisín Gallen: June

Two nominations, for Oisín Gallen and Brendan McCole