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Donegal GAA

Gaelic games governing body

Gaelic games governing body

FieldValue
nameDonegal GAA
crestDonegal GAA crest.png
irishDún na nGall
Tír Chonaill
founded1905
provinceUlster
dominant sportGaelic football
groundsMacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey
county coloursGold Green
websitehttps://donegalgaa.ie/
nfl divDivision 1
nhl divDivision 2
football champSam Maguire Cup
hurling champNicky Rackard Cup
ladies footballBrendan Martin Cup
camogieO'Duffy Cup

Tír Chonaill

The Donegal County Board () or Donegal GAA is one of 32 county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland, and is responsible for the administration of Gaelic games in County Donegal.

The County Board is responsible for preparing the Donegal county teams in the various Gaelic sporting codes; football, hurling, camogie and handball.

The county football team was the third from the province of Ulster to win an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC), following Cavan and Down. It last won the All-Ireland SFC in 2012 and the Ulster Senior Football Championship in 2024. Donegal players comprised most of the 2012 All Stars Team of the Year, and the three nominations for the All Stars Footballer of the Year, ultimately won by Karl Lacey. In addition, having been invited to assist the Celtic soccer team in Scotland, Donegal manager Jim McGuinness became the first Gaelic football inter-county manager to have been offered a role at a professional sports team abroad. McGuinness's services have also been sought by Premier League soccer teams.

According to a 2015 TUD study by Shane Mangan, Donegal had the largest playing population in Ulster, with 14,000 players at that time.

Governance

The first Donegal County Board was formed in 1905.

Charlie O'Donnell resigned as County Secretary for personal reasons 15 months into a seven-year contract in December 2009.

When John McConnell was County Chairman, he worked with Brian McEniff on plans for a divisional championship in the county; McConnell later resigned and this proposal did not go any further.

Naul McCole was County Chairman in 1992 and was also a selector under Brian McEniff when Donegal won the 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.

Pat Conaghan was County Chairman in 1997.

Brian McEniff was County Chairman in late 2002 when, unable to find a manager for the senior football team, he did it himself.

P. J. McGowan completed five years as County Chairman in December 2012. Sean Dunnion succeeded McGowan. Aodh Ruadh clubman Mick McGrath — a former inter-county referee — succeeded Dunnion as the 43rd chair in 2017.

County Treasurer Cieran Kelly resigned early from his role in July 2018, blaming County Chairman Mick McGrath for ensuring that he "wasn't welcome" at fundraising meetings. The election for Kelly's successor was tied on votes 33 apiece so, at Croke Park's request, lots were drawn to pick Alan Boyd (formerly the Cultural and Irish Officer) over Brendan Kelly.

Football

Clubs

The county's most successful football clubs are Gaoth Dobhair and St Eunan's who have won the Donegal Senior Football Championship (SFC) on fifteen occasions each. Gaoth Dobhair also won the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship in 2018.

Aodh Ruadh of Ballyshannon are next in the Donegal SFC rankings, before a sizeable gap to fourth position. 14 clubs have won more than one title. Killybegs, though possessing only six SFCs, also appeared in the final of the 1991 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship, a feat never achieved by either St Eunan's or Aodh Ruadh.

A system of promotion and relegation operates between the SFC and the Donegal Intermediate Football Championship (IFC). Likewise, between the IFC and the Donegal Junior Football Championship (JFC).

The All-County Leagues are another competition for clubs. This had been divided into four divisions for many years but — because of the "split season" and the inability to play 18 rounds of games — from 2022, this was reduced to three, with 13 clubs in Division 1, 14 clubs in Division 2 and 13 clubs in Division 3.

As of 2013, there were 40 clubs under the auspices of the Donegal County Board. These range from Malin at the northernmost point of the county to Naomh Columba in the south, a round distance cited in 2020 media reports of 320 kilometres, with an estimated one-way time of more than two hours before roadworks were taken into account.

County team

Main article: Donegal county football team

The county team came to the fore of Ulster football in the 1970s, winning its first Ulster Senior Football Championship in 1972. The win coincided with the county's first All Star—in the form of Brian McEniff—in the second year of the award's existence. A second provincial title followed for Donegal in 1974.

The county team won a third provincial title in 1983. Fourth and fifth titles followed in 1990 and 1992. They team later qualified for the 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, where it defeated heavy favourites Dublin.

Donegal last won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 2012. The team last won the Ulster Senior Football Championship in 2025.

Hurling

Clubs

Clubs contest the Donegal Senior Hurling Championship.

Burt and Setanta Hurling Club have an archrivalry. They are the county's most prominent clubs in the sport.

County team

Main article: Donegal county hurling team

Donegal's first Ulster Senior Hurling Championship was won in 1906, its most recent in 1932.

In the 21st-century, Donegal won the 2011 Lory Meagher Cup. The county then became the first to win the Nicky Rackard Cup on three occasions, achieving this feat in 2020 after earlier wins in 2013 and 2018.

In 2019, following the 2018 Nicky Rackard win, the county made its debut in the Christy Ring Cup, the competition founded in place of the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship.

Ladies' football

Donegal has a ladies' football team.

Dominic McGlinchey resigned as senior manager in 2009 and Hughie Molloy took over temporarily until the end of the season. .

Camogie

Donegal competed in the Ulster Senior Championship from the 1930s, hosting Antrim in Letterkenny in 1945. They succeeded in fielding a league team in the 1980s, drawing on the groundwork at Loreto, Letterkenny which fielded successful colleges teams. The Pan Celtic games of 2006 rejuvenated camogie in Donegal and the county returned to competition in the Ulster Junior Championship in 2008.

Under Camogie's National Development Plan 2010–2015, "Our Game, Our Passion", it was announced that Donegal, Kerry, Mayo and Monaghan would receive a total of 14 new clubs by 2015.

Eponyms

Several clubs in cities worldwide use the "Donegal" or "Tír Chonaill" name. These include:

  • Donegal Boston, based in the United States
  • Donegal Philadelphia, based in the United States
  • Donegal New York, based in the United States
  • Tír Chonaill Gaels, based in England
  • Tír Conaill Harps, based in Scotland

Statistics

Fr Seán Ó Gallchóir, the statistician, first compiled a twelve-page booklet in 1979 using his research into the newspaper archives of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal News and Derry Journal, which he personally gathered at their offices and compiled in scrapbooks. The Book of Donegal GAA Facts was first published in 1985. The eighth edition of the book launched in 2020. It is used by journalists wishing to verify information on Gaelic games in the county.

References

References

  1. (27 October 2012). "Donegal's Karl Lacey is named Gaelic Footballer of 2012". [[BBC Sport]].
  2. Moran, Seán. (9 November 2012). "McGuinness move would be huge blow to Donegal". [[The Irish Times]].
  3. (5 October 2012). "Donegal dismiss reports linking Jim McGuinness to Liverpool FC". [[RTÉ Sport]].
  4. O'Kane, Cahair. (10 August 2021). "Kicking Out: At what point do we question urban investment?". [[The Irish News]].
  5. (9 October 2011). "Heroes of '92 allowed Donegal to remove psychological barrier". [[Sunday Independent (Ireland).
  6. (16 December 2009). "Martin McHugh will try for a Central Council role again". [[BBC Sport]].
  7. Heaney, Paddy. (25 November 2013). "The life of Brian". [[The Irish News]].
  8. Foley, Alan. (8 January 2009). "The heroes of '92 — Where are they now?". [[Donegal Democrat]].
  9. McNulty, Chris. (22 September 2017). "Declan Bonner: It'll be 'all or nothing' for Donegal's 'half mad' new manager".
  10. Bogue, Declan. (9 May 2020). "My inspirational quartet that make up Ulster GAA's Mount Rushmore". [[Belfast Telegraph]].
  11. McNulty, Chris. (15 September 2017). "Lifetime Achievement award for Brian McEniff".
  12. McNulty, Chris. (19 October 2012). "Molloy considers the top job". [[Donegal News]].
  13. (12 December 2016). "Donegal Chairman Sean Dunnion on County Convention". [[Highland Radio]].
  14. McNulty, Chris. (7 December 2017). "McGrath set for the Chair at low-key Donegal GAA Convention".
  15. Keys, Colm. (30 August 2018). "Kelly quit Donegal because he felt unwelcome". [[Irish Independent]].
  16. (16 August 2018). "Alan Boyd is the new Donegal County Board Treasurer". [[Highland Radio]].
  17. Bonner, Declan. (31 March 2022). "All focus now on April 24". [[Donegal News]].
  18. Comack, Tom. (7 September 2010). "County Board Briefs". [[Donegal Democrat]].
  19. McNulty, Chris. (7 March 2013). "Clubs pledge €81,000 funding". [[Donegal News]].
  20. Craig, Frank. (3 September 2020). "Naomh Columba have the edge". [[Donegal News]].
  21. Bonner, Declan. (3 September 2020). "No surprises are expected in senior quarter-finals". [[Donegal News]].
  22. Jackson, Lyle. (23 September 2012). "Donegal 2–11 0–13 Mayo". BBC.
  23. Ferry, Ryan. (1 October 2020). "Setanta hurlers keen to go back-to-back". [[Donegal News]].
  24. (9 June 2011). "Donegal thriller at Croke Park". Inishowen News.
  25. (22 November 2020). "Donegal goal burst enough to secure Nicky Rackard glory". [[RTÉ Sport]].
  26. (8 June 2013). "Nicky Rackard Cup final: to Donegal the spoils". [[Hogan Stand]].
  27. (23 June 2018). "Donegal win the Nicky Rackard Cup for the first time since 2013". [[Irish Independent]].
  28. McNulty, Chris. (7 December 2012). "Hughie Molloy appointed Ladies manager". [[Donegal News]].
  29. (April 2008). "Donegal v Tyrone preview on Camogie.ie". camogie.ie.
  30. (29 March 2010). "Final goal for camogie". [[Irish Independent]].
  31. National Development Plan 2010–2015, Our Game, Our Passion information page on [http://www.camogie.ie/NationalDevelopmentPlan/tabid/71/Default.aspx camogie.ie] {{Webarchive. link. (1 September 2010 , pdf download (778k) from [http://www.camogie.ie/Portals/0/Documents/Development%20Plan.pdf Camogie.ie download site] {{Webarchive). link. (16 September 2011)
  32. (16 July 2009). "Donegal Boston come of age". [[Hogan Stand]].
  33. (2 March 2021). "Glasgow GAA club Tir Conaill Harps set their sights on 2021". [[Donegal News]].
  34. McNulty, Chris. (30 July 2020). "Get your GAA facts right — Fr Seán launches new edition of invaluable book".
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