Arrangements announced for Donegal homecoming after All Ireland Final
The homecoming event will take place at the Pier Carpark in Donegal Town on Monday, July 28, 2025.
The Pier car park will be closed to all vehicular traffic from 6pm on Sunday from July 27, 2025 to 1am on Tuesday July 29, 2025.
On-street parking on Quay Street will not be permitted from 8am on Monday, July 28, 2025 to 1am on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
The areas outlined in red on the map above detail the extent areas that will be closed to traffic to facilitate the event.
Local access for deliveries to the back of the hotels and emergency services will be facilitated.
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RTÉ News
18 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Jim McGuinness: We were pushing a boulder up a hill for large parts of the game
In the decade between his first and second stints as Donegal manager, Jim McGuinness claimed there was barely a day when the 2014 All-Ireland final defeat didn't flash across his mind. This time around, he's urging a different response on his players. "I said to the players in the dressing room, it's not a game you should think about for a long time," McGuinness told RTÉ Sport afterwards. "We didn't deserve to win the game. That's the reality of it. "We didn't do enough to win the game. You have to let it slide. Sometimes you just have to let performances slide. And this is one of them." Afterwards, the Donegal manager was unsurprisingly resistant to the idea of conducting an in-depth post-mortem in public. The question of how the Ulster champions under-performed on the big stage will linger for a while though. They certainly seemed to be rocked by the force and intensity of Kerry's quick opening to the game, alongside the hammer-blow of David Clifford's succession of two-pointers. Many of the strengths that characterised the side in previous games - their ability to mind the ball and avoid turnovers and their capacity for gathering breaking ball in midfield - deserted them in the first half in particular. It was only their decent scoring efficiency that kept them in touch in an opening 35 minutes where they struggled to get their hands on ball. "We didn't perform, Kerry did perform, that's the bottom line. They started very early in the game and they got a foothold in the game. "I thought we responded quite well in the first half on our attack. We were good, we were clinical, but I think they might have scored in the first six attacks, so we were struggling to deal with them in that period. They went for a lot of twos and they hit a lot of them as well and that was big. "David Clifford coming on to those balls on a loop. We did a lot of work on him and we did a lot of work in terms of managing him. I thought Brendan (McCole) did actually quite well on him for periods, but obviously it does take more than one person to try and close down David and he kicked some brilliant twos. "Was it six or seven scorers we had? I think we've have 12 in the last two games. Why did we not get the same traction in terms of threats all over the pitch and different people popping up at different times? That's all things that probably come into the mix. "Kerry had a very aggressive press on. We were trying to do the same. They won a lot of breaking ball. We would pride ourselves on that aspect of it. They won a huge amount of breaking ball. Gavin White, in particular, won a huge amount of breaking ball. Every possession was crucial. "Getting the hands on the ball from our own kick-out was crucial. Both kick-outs and turnovers, that's what shapes attacks. We didn't get enough." One moment which McGuinness did cite - and one which clearly annoyed him on the sideline - occurred late in the first half, when Donegal had brought the game back to a five-point margin after points from Conor and Shane O'Donnell. Daire Ó Baoill sought to float a ball into Michael Murphy at full-forward but it was mis-directed and the Glenswilly player wasn't even in a position to contest it. Kerry came away and nursed possession themsevles until the hooter, the Cliffords combining for a two-point score to push the lead out to seven again as the teams raced down the tunnel. "We did things that we don't normally do," says McGuinness. "We made decisions that we don't normally do and we had just too many turnovers, that's the bottom line. "We had too many turnovers and some of them were clutch moments. We were chasing our tails, a couple of moments before half-time. A five-point game and then we lose possession, we give possession away and then it ends up a seven-point game. That was a tough one to take. "Had we been able to work that and got a score, we would have probably ended up going in at four down at half-time. I think it might have been a very different dressing-room at that stage, very different dynamic in terms of going out for the second half." After 2014, McGuinness spoke of the flatness he sensed among the squad on the day of the final. He detected none of that this time around, insisting that the mood was good and relaxed on the weekend of the game. Rather it was just a case that "Kerry came hard and they came hard early. "They set the terms of the game. Then you're trying to manage that and you're trying to claw your way back in. We tried to respond to that, but at the end of the day, they were still keeping the scoreboard ticking over. "We were pushing a boulder up a hill for large parts of it." Among those who fancied Donegal to win, McGuinness's reputation as a managerial savant was a significant factor. However, Donegal's defence struggled to cope with the range of options in Kerry's attack, with Paudie Clifford given relatively free reign. "I suppose no more than the Cork hurlers. It'll be a fairly heavy post-mortem after this one. "We'll go in, we'll think about the game, we'll reflect on the game. You try to get as many things right as you can. "Sometimes you just have to take your hat off and say, the better team won and we made too many mistakes to win the game. Just make peace with that. Over the coming weeks, those types of conversations will probably start."
The Irish Sun
18 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Paudie Clifford teases David over childhood nickname during hilarious RTE interview after All-Ireland heroics
PAUDIE Clifford may have to look up to make eye contact with David but he very much lives up to the older brother stereotype. The older Clifford is the more verbose of the two and drove most of their post-match interview 2 Paudie, 28, did most of the talking while David, 26, was happy to play second fiddle Credit: @TheSundayGame 2 He had a whopping 76 possessions during Sunday's All-Ireland final win Credit: @TheSundayGame Some of the highlights included him noting that they were on the same teams growing up despite the age gap as their community of Fossa is so small that playing numbers were often tight. The playmaker also joked about his 76 possessions over the course of Harking back to the widely lauded Football Review Committee, he quipped: "Jim Gavin and Eamon Fitzmaurice probably didn't envision me soloing the ball on the spot about 100 times when they drew up the new rules!" The best moment, however, was a classic case of a big brother slagging his younger sibling. Read More On GAA Asked if they'd always had an innate on-pitch chemistry, Paudie shot back: "The chemistry wasn't great now, we fought every day for about two years straight! "Mom was just sick of of dealing with David crying every two minutes. They actually used to call him watery eyes because he used to cry so much! So that was the chemistry now." While Paudie was all smiles and in relaxed form by that stage of the day, the his immediate post-match interview He vented: "I suppose as a team, we would feel disrespected because we were in three of the last four All-Irelands and we've won two of them now. Most read in GAA Football "And to be called a one-man team when I see myself some of the work that our lads put in… 'Like, Joe O'Connor, the turnovers, winning balls, scoring, Jason Foley, Brian Ó Beaglaioch, Gavin White – I'm only naming a few. I see the work that they put in every day. Cork hurlers catch strays during Jack O'Connor's triumphant RTE interview after Kerry outclass Donegal 'To be called a one-man team then, it's nearly like it's disrespectful. It's kind of personal. I suppose that's the angle we were coming from. 'We were close against Armagh last year and we'd be our own worst critics as well. We admitted that we've under-performed definitely as a team over some of the years. 'But I suppose with the work we put in and the players we have there, for them things to be said, it's not nice to hear it." Still, with David on course to be named Footballer of the Year for the third time in four seasons, Clifford recognises greatness when he sees it. He said: "Obviously he's a top, top player and one of the greatest players ever. I suppose the new rules have probably given him a new lease of life. But he's had an unbelievable year. Delighted for him." MEATH MELTDOWN Kerry's response was impressive after their status as All-Ireland contenders took a battering when they suffered a nine-point defeat to Meath in the group stages. Paudie, who missed that game through injury, said: "I suppose there's a worry that you wouldn't be battle-tested. Usually that's the kind of talk about us. 'But we were definitely-battle tested and we had a lot of injuries. Losing to Meath probably ended up being the best thing that ever happened to us. 'Obviously with the new rules, we had basically the same kickout strategy, we had basically the same, say, defensive strategy since we won the league. 'Everyone was only figuring things out and fair play to the lads. After the Meath game, we kind of realised that structurally in a few areas, we probably weren't where we should be. 'Once we fixed that and once we saw Croke Park and started getting bodies back all the time, it led from there." A fourth All-Star award could now be in store for Clifford, who has looked as good as ever since his half-time introduction in the quarter-final against Armagh. The 28-year-old said: "Obviously I had a good league but I just couldn't get a hamstring injury right for a while. In the lead-up to the Armagh game, I just didn't feel great that week even. 'So I suppose I'm just delighted really that everything worked out for myself and us obviously. We put a lot of work into it all year so I'm just delighted that it worked out for us.'
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Lionel Messi looks embarrassed as he and wife Antonela are shown on Coldplay kiss cam at Miami concert
LIONEL MESSI was caught in a rare moment of awkwardness with his stunning wife Antonela Roccuzzo at a Coldplay concert. The loved-up couple were enjoying the British rock-band's final U.S show in Miami when the dreaded kiss cam landed squarely on them. 6 Lionel Messi was pictured on Coldplay's dreaded kiss cam on Sunday night Credit: X @ESPNFC 6 Messi and his wife Antonela took the joke well, before smiling to the crowd Credit: X @ESPNFC 6 Astronomer's chief executive Andy Byron was caught canoodling with his head of human resources Kristin Cabot at a gig last week It comes days after the kiss scam scandal involving married Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot. Their ducking reaction to being filmed at Boston's gig has caught the world's attention - with millions now talking about an alleged affair . And while many might seize the opportunity for a public smooch, Messi seemed to go bright red given the circumstances. Footage circulating on social media showed the Inter Miami star smiling sheepishly, while Antonela, ever graceful, beamed beside him. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL With everyone in the crowd cheering "Messi", the couple waved to fans before Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin serenaded them. Martin, who had jokingly called out Byron and Caobt's potential 'affair' during his performance last week, thanked Messi for coming and called him "the No1 sports person of all-time". And it didn't take long for fans online to see the funny side. One wrote: "They should have tried to hide for a second. That would be hilarious." Most read in Football Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford While another said: "They were just singing and not dodging any Cam scandals." A third said: 'Jumbotron with Lionel Messi! (He didn't hide, though).' Moment Chris Martin laughs as he issues kiss cam warning days after CEO and HR chief caught 6 Antonela later shared pictures of the couple with their three sons at Coldplay's show Credit: instagram @ antonelaroccuzzo 6 Messi and Antonela enjoyed a rare night out at a concert Credit: instagram @ antonelaroccuzzo Although not spotted in the viral clip, Antonela later posted snaps of the couple's three sons enjoying the show at the Hard Rock Stadium. Thiago, 12, was pictured wearing a Coldplay cap, while Mateo, nine, wore a snazzy pair of 3D glasses as Ciro, six, cuddled into his dad. Meanwhile, Messi was serving a one-match suspension for Inter Miami's game against FC Cincinnati on Saturday. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and fellow Barcelona legend Jordi Alba were punished for skipping Major League Soccer's All-Star game earlier this week. Both players missed Wednesday's match in Austin, Texas where the MLS squad posted a 3-1 win against Mexico's Liga MX All-Stars. Elsewhere, Humiliated Byron and Cabot quit their jobs at the tech company as a result of the scandal. And Martin's ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow was hired by Astronomer for a tongue-in-cheek video, in what fans are describing as a genius PR move. 6 Astronomer's now former chief executive Andy Byron and HR boss Kristin Cabot on Coldplay's kiss cam
