Latest news with #DonegalGAA
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Inside the life of Michael Murphy as Donegal legend looks to win Sam Maguire
Michael Murphy sent shockwaves through GAA supporters not just in Donegal, but across the entire island of Ireland, when he made his comeback to the panel this year. He had stepped away from inter-county football at the conclusion of the 2022 season. It fell to returning boss Jim McGuinness to persuade him to dust off his boots and rejoin the squad once more. During his break from playing GAA, he worked as a pundit and also wed his long-term partner, Annie Keeney. Michael got down on one knee and popped in the question in a romantic proposal on Christmas Day back in 2021 after they first met in 2016. The happy couple then tied the knot in a destination wedding two years later. They said "I do" in Florence, Italy, at the end of 2023. Following their big day, Annie shared a fabulous snap of them walking hand in hand together in front of the Piazza del Duomo. Read more: Donegal GAA star Ryan McHugh marries long-time girlfriend Bridget Molloy in Christmas wedding Read more: Donegal star Shane O'Donnell's day job, age and inside his famous sporting family Michael also shared a look inside their wedding on his Instagram account. Now that they are married they are focused on building their forever home in the hills of Donegal. Michael previously said that Annie is big supporter of his, but they also lead separate lives away from Gaelic football which is key to making their romance work. The GAA star told RSVP Live: "She follows the games but she wouldn't be a mad Donegal supporter because she has her own interest and friends. She obviously does come along to the games though to support the team and support the lads."
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Grandmother (99) of Donegal rising star has the ‘candles lit and the rosary beads out' on eve of All-Ireland final
The proud grandmother of rising star Finnbarr Roarty (19) is brimming with pride ahead of the All-Ireland final showdown with Kerry in Croke Park. Kitty will watch the match from her family home in Glenties, which has been decorated in the county colours — and she will have the candles lit and rosary beads in her hand. Kitty, who will be 100 on Christmas Eve, has been a lifelong GAA fan, but having her grandson on the team has been 'magical'. 'She is on a high this week, and it's as good as any tonic,' her daughter, Margaret Kennedy, said. 'She is just so proud of Finnbarr and the whole team. 'It's great she has seen Finnbarr on the team and it is just magical that she has lived to this age. She has the whole living room decorated with flags and bunting, and she is so excited for the match.' Kitty and her late husband were always avid Donegal GAA fans, and in their younger days, they would travel throughout the county, and as far as Clones in Co Monaghan, to watch the team play. Her love for Donegal football increased in the 1990s when her neighbour Jim McGuinness — now Donegal manager — became involved in the side. 'The Roartys knew the McGuinnesses very well over the years, and it added to the excitement to have a neighbour involved in the team,' Margaret said. 'She followed the 1992 and 2012 sides, but nothing compares to having Finnbarr on the team. It is such an achievement to reach the final, and they have brought such a massive boost to everyone — it's just magical. 'With my mammy turning 100 on Christmas Eve, this could be a particularly special year for her and for us all as a family.'
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
University charts remarkable link to Donegal's All Ireland team
No fewer than 19 players and 11 members of the management and support team involved in this weekend's All-Ireland final squad have a direct link to ATU. 'This is a truly extraordinary story of connection, support and long-standing partnership,' said Dr Orla Flynn, President of ATU. 'A massive number of past and current ATU students will line out for Donegal this Sunday at the All-Ireland final.' ATU and Donegal GAA have worked in close partnership for many years, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that also extends to Sligo GAA. The collaboration focuses on athlete development, education, and welfare — and Sunday's sporting occasion is proof of its impact. 'The majority of the players and backroom team have come through our Letterkenny campus, and a number have strong links to our Sligo campus as well,' Dr Flynn added Among the many influential figures connected to ATU, few stand taller than Michael Murphy — the former All Star and iconic captain who famously led Donegal to their last All-Ireland title in 2012. Murphy retired from inter-county football in 2022, drawing a close to a glittering career that left an indelible mark on the game. However, in a dramatic return to the panel in November 2024, Murphy re-joined the Donegal setup, bringing with him invaluable leadership, experience. Now serving as Head of Sport at ATU Donegal, Murphy bridges the gap between education and sport in a unique way. His dual role reflects the university's ambition to provide a home for emerging athletes, combining academic achievement with elite sporting development. His return to the Donegal setup this season has been seen as a symbolic and strategic moment in Donegal's resurgence. Other standout names among the panel include Ryan McHugh, Jamie Brennan, Peadar Mogan, Caolan Ward, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, and Michael Langan — all of whom studied at ATU. Rising stars such as Luke McGlynn, Odhran Doherty, and Cian McMenamin are current students balancing lectures with championship pressure. In the backroom and coaching setup, ATU's influence is just as evident. Figures like Luke Barrett, Colm McFadden, Neil McGee, Tommy Devine, and Antoin McFadden — all of whom are past or present students or staff — are helping steer Donegal's preparation and performance from the sidelines. As Donegal eyes a third Sam Maguire, the county jersey will be worn with pride by a team deeply intertwined with ATU. ATU's sporting pride isn't just focused on football this weekend — there's also huge excitement building in Galway, where the senior camogie team are set to take on Tipperary in the All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final this Saturday, July 26th. Current ATU students Shannon Corcoran and Ava Lynskey, and former students Sarah Healy and Ann Marie Starr are representing the Tribeswomen this weekend. ATU is also represented on the coaching side, with Adrian Pilkington and Ewan Cunningham both serving as strength and conditioning coaches. Dr Flynn added, 'When you see the scale of this, it shows how our commitment to sport and education is helping shape elite performance and leadership in Gaelic games across the region. We wish the Donegal team the very best of luck this Sunday and also the Galway camogie team on Saturday.' FULL LIST OF PLAYERS: Donegal GAA Team - Past & Current ATU Donegal Students (15 in total) Michael Murphy – Head of Sport Oisin Caulfield – current student Luke McGlynn – current student Odhran Doherty – current student Cian McMenamin – current student Eoghan McGettigan – former student Charlie McGuinness – former student Conor O' Donnell – former student Michael Langan – former student Caolan Ward – former student Peadar Mogan – former student Jason McGee – former student Ciaran Thompson – former student Jack Gallagher – former student Keelan McGroddy – former student ATU Sligo (some overlap with the list above as some students below started in Sligo, and finished in Letterkenny) Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Michael Langan (above), Ciaran Thompson (above), Eoghan McHugh, Jamie Brennan, Management Team Neil McGee Support Team Members who studied (study) at ATU Donegal (11) Cormac McColgan – current student Conal McDermott – current student Tommy Devine – current staff Antoin McFadden – current staff Ruairi Crealey – current staff Luke Barrett – current GAA coach Colm McFadden – former student Neil McGee – former student Donall Barrett – former student Niall Diver – former student
Irish Times
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Jim McGuinness will be putting 2014 out of his mind as Donegal face Kerry
Jim McGuinness says there wasn't a single day he didn't think about Donegal's 2014 All-Ireland defeat to Kerry until he returned to take charge of the team two years ago. McGuinness, who guided Donegal to All-Ireland glory in 2012, was hoping to add a second Sam Maguire triumph to his managerial CV in 2014 only to see his charges come up short against the Kingdom, 2-9 to 0-12. He stepped down as Donegal manager just two weeks later. 'I would say until I got back involved, I would say there wasn't a day I didn't think about it [the 2014 final],' says McGuinness. READ MORE 'I can remember walking about the hotel after we lost, in a daze, I didn't know what happened, didn't know where I was, didn't know what actually had gone wrong. 'It's very painful, you're in a banquet and there's 1,200 people and you don't want to see anybody. That's not a nice place to be. 'But losing always sharpens the pencil. There's nothing better than winning an All-Ireland and there's nothing worse than losing it. Donegal manager Jim McGuinness at the end of the All-Ireland final against Kerry in September 2014. Photograph: Donall Farmer/Inpho 'It's probably the best day of your life and the worst day of your life and that's the reality. I've been on both sides of the fence and I suppose trying to get that message across to the players now is very important. 'But you have to live those moments as well and it's difficult. When you're 18 or 19 years of age and Anthony Molloy is telling you to make the most of this because it'll fly in, you're thinking, 'It won't really fly in, I'm in a good place here.' [ Donegal v Kerry: Throw-in time, TV details and team news about All-Ireland football final Opens in new window ] 'And all of a sudden you're retired. So, we'll be imparting that to the players, that it's a brilliant day but also there's a football game to be played. And if you don't win that game, it's tough. 'But I do think that if you go out and you give it everything you've got and you fall short, at least you've done that. 'I think where regret falls sometimes is if you're coming down the road in the bus and you feel there was a bit left in the tank, I think that's when it becomes really hard.' Donegal manager Jim McGuinness consoles his captain Michael Murphy after the 2014 All-Ireland football final. Photograph: Donall Farmer/Inpho McGuinness has lived a life less ordinary between his two stints as Donegal manager. He was also working as a performance consultant with Glasgow Celtic during the latter stages of his first term as Donegal boss, and eventually graduated to coaching youth teams at the club before taking on the role of assistant coach to Roger Schmidt with Chinese Super League side Beijing Sinobo Guoan in June 2017. But after six months in China, McGuinness left Beijing and in December 2018 he was appointed manager of Charlotte Independence in the US. However, he was sacked halfway through the season, with his spell at the helm of the club ending in June 2019. McGuinness believes the learnings from his coaching journey in soccer have made him a better manager. 'Definitely, all those experiences help. Being in that environment, sitting with other coaches that are elite and listening to them, how they problem-solve and how they put game plans together. 'Sharing information amongst yourselves, that's all very important stuff as well that can help you along the journey. I've been very fortunate in that regard, people that I've worked with have been brilliant with their time.' The return of Michael Murphy has added another layer of depth to Donegal's charge this season but on Sunday the Ulster champions will be challenged with curtailing one of the greatest footballers to have ever played the game. 'Myself and [son] Mark Anthony were chatting about it on the way up in the car and we were talking about the fact that [David Clifford] could be the best player that has ever played the game,' says McGuinness. 'Time will tell on that, I suppose, you can never make that assertion until somebody hangs up the boots but certainly he's an exceptional football player. Kerry's David Clifford and Peter Teague of Tyrone in their All-Ireland semi-final clash at Croke Park on July 12th. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho 'He seems to be very driven this year, he's carrying the fight I would almost say with a determination and aggressiveness ... like an attacking aggressiveness – when he sees a gap he's just really going for that gap. 'Even some of the scores even in Croke Park, he's not kicking it over, he's firing it over. It's almost like he's putting down markers and I think he's leading from the front, literally. 'It's a huge challenge but obviously there are a number of what you would call marquee forwards in the Kerry team. 'His brother Paudie is in that bracket as well and Seán O'Shea and a lot of many other players that have been incredible servants that know their way around Croke Park. So the challenge on that front is absolutely huge.' Sunday will be Donegal's first appearance in an All-Ireland final since 2014. Including replays, during that same period Kerry have played in five – winning Sam Maguire in 2022. Donegal football manager Jim McGuinness with his players after the All-Ireland football semi-final against Meath at Croke Park on July 13th. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho 'It's Kerry's third appearance in four years in the final,' adds McGuinness. 'They know their way about Croke Park extremely well, they know their way about Croke Park on All-Ireland final day better than anybody else, maybe with the exception of Dublin in the last decade or so, but they were probably contesting most of those finals with them anyway. 'I think that's the biggest barrier that you have to overcome as a team that's around the periphery, if you like, and I would say ourselves would be in that bracket. Tyrone would be in that bracket, Armagh would be in that bracket – good teams and good sides, but trying to make a breakthrough. 'We wake up on the first of January and you're hoping things will go well and you're hoping you can get momentum and you can build a team and build an energy. 'Kerry and Dublin wake up on the first of January and if they don't win the All-Ireland [that year] they'll be disappointed. So that mindset is going to be difficult for our lads to overcome because that's what they're going to be facing as soon as the ball is thrown in.'
Irish Times
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Donegal's barren years seem a distant memory as they prepare for Gaelic football's greatest day
Paddy McBrearty sits next to Jim McGuinness in the press conference room and talks about Donegal's barren years. This, clearly, is not one of them. Out on the pitch Donegal had just laid waste to a team billed by many as the story of the 2025 championship. But it took the Ulster champions just 70 minutes to reduce Meath's role in the narrative of the summer to a mere subplot. Donegal are now threatening to assume the title of lead character again. They are back in an All-Ireland final for the first time since 2014, their fourth of all time. McGuinness has been involved in all four, as a player in 1992 and manager in 2012, 2014 and now 2025. This is the second year of his second stint as Donegal boss. They have won Ulster both seasons since his return to the helm, exited the championship at the All-Ireland semi-final stage last year and are now back in the decider. READ MORE 'When we left here in 2014 [after losing to Kerry], I didn't think it would be 2024 until we reached our next semi-final,' says McBrearty. 'We massively, massively underachieved from 2014 to 2024 basically, in our eyes. When Jim came back, standards were raised back to where they were and we're just delighted to be back here, but you know they were a barren couple of years. 'We were winning Ulster championships, [people] were tipping us to go on and win All-Irelands but we couldn't do it on the big days. Getting this man back obviously for that and getting back to days like this in two weeks is massive.' McGuinness, of course, is the 'this man' in question. Donegal manager Jim McGuinness with his players after the game. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho His team had the luxury of dropping down through the gears and freewheeling to victory over Meath at Croke Park on Sunday. 'We knew we had trained well, I suppose without covering old ground again, the difference between a one-week turnaround and a two-week turnaround really is probably that you're going to get one session done in a one-week turnaround, and I would say with a two-week turnaround you're looking at five or six,' says McGuinness. 'That's massive from a coaching point of view.' [ Darragh Ó Sé: Kerry and Donegal have shown a different gear and should be too strong for Tyrone and Meath Opens in new window ] Donegal won the toss but opted to play against the wind in the first half and still led by five points at the turnaround. The gap at the final whistle was 20 points, the largest All-Ireland semi-final victory since Cork beat Mayo by the same margin in 1993. Donegal had 12 different scorers from play on Sunday, their deep runners wreaking havoc and tearing apart the Meath defence time and time again. For Meath, there were simply too many fires and not enough hydrants. 'I suppose when you're playing a running game and a support game, everybody needs to be able to do that [score],' adds McGuinness. 'Listen, the game has changed dramatically over the last number of months. We just felt that it was important to see how those changes would grow, if you like, and then bring our own template to how we want to play the game. 'Everybody's got their own principles and how they see the game. For me it's important just to keep what it is to be from your county very close to the centre, and then move with the rules, and I think we've done quite a good job on that front.' Meath's Adam O'Neill and Michael Murphy of Donegal in their All-Ireland SFC semi-final game at Croke Park. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho For Meath, this was a disheartening end to what had been a season of renewed hope after championship wins over Dublin, Cork, Kerry and Galway had lifted the footballing soul of the county out of the shadows after 20 years of mediocrity. 'Obviously, it's really disappointing when you have such a big crowd and atmosphere behind it and everything like that,' says manager Robbie Brennan. 'It's disappointing for the lads really because I'm absolutely convinced we're better than that.' The challenge for Brennan and his management team now is to ensure the nature of their championship exit does not extract too much of the air from what had been a rising green-and-gold balloon. 'Yeah, that's huge for us. And it's the lads who've helped to fill Croke Park because of the way they've played and the bit of abandonment and freedom they've gone with and the way they've approached the whole thing,' adds the Meath manager. [ Vibes and victories: how Robbie Brennan put smiles on Meath faces Opens in new window ] 'I hope we've reawakened that drive and love for Meath football in the county because I think we've been crying out for it and today showed it. It was a complete sell-out, I think. 'But it's important we take that now and keep building that towards the future. You're not going to win every match, as we always know, but we can't drop off now. We have to keep pushing.' But all the heavy lifting was done by Donegal on Sunday. The Ulster champions push on. They will meet the Munster champions in the final, a repeat of the 2014 decider. 'They've just a lot of quality, they have a lot of a lot of skill level, they're playing for each other,' says McGuinness. 'You can see that they're very united and they're very together.' As McGuinness talks of Kerry, sitting beside him McBrearty allows himself a brief smile because his manager could just as easily be describing Donegal. The barren years are becoming a distant memory. First McGuinness returned. Then Michael Murphy. And now the county returns to grace Gaelic football's biggest day. It's all starting to feel like another part of the Sam Maguire master plan.
