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Donegal GAA thread

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Replying To panamasam:  "You sure about the dates there Eddie. The under 20 grade is relatively new and we won the last Ulster 21. Besides you could throw a blanket over Donegal, Derry and Tyrone the last few years. Lost a under 20 final in 2020 without Oisin Gallen and Conor O'Donnell. Pushed Tyrone to extra time after that (they won AI). Plus the same last year."
I know u20s is a new thing but I meant u21s/u20s.

We put it up to teams sometimes but not winning an ulster at least with the teams we've had is frustrating.

eddieSize5Balls (Donegal) - Posts: 337 - 23/04/2026 21:20:30    2668226

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Yeah that's true. All the more reason then to put the foot on Tyrone throats so to speak, when we were well on top.
I don't think I'm exagerating to say that we should easily have been ten or twelve points up going into the half time break.
But look, every team can have a bad day at the office when it comes to shooting accuracy.

The galling thing about it as you say, is that teams that have beaten us at underage level in the recent past have gone on to win national silverware. It might not be as bitter a pill to swallow if the likes of Tyrone and Derry hadn't progressed much further.

But strangely enough, as of yet, Tyrone haven't been able to translate their success to senior level. Maybe it will take them another few years to fully develop as senior county players."
Yeah for sure. I thought Donegal should've been at least 12 points up at half time. What odds would you have got on Tyrone to win by 4 when they still hadn't registered a score late into the first half. However by 4 they won and deservedly so after the turgid Donegal attacking play in that second half.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2940 - 23/04/2026 21:28:52    2668231

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Replying To eddieSize5Balls:  "I know u20s is a new thing but I meant u21s/u20s.

We put it up to teams sometimes but not winning an ulster at least with the teams we've had is frustrating."
They did win Ulster 21 in 2017 and a good chunk of that team are still playing or around the panel. They got a bit of a raw deal from monday Ulster final to Saturday all ireland semi against the last really good Dublin under 21 team. The 2018 team would have been very strong too except they changed the age.
Mulreanny, mcmenamin, mccole, obaoill, langan, curran, mcgee, k gallagher, Mogan from the senior team would have been around that 21 age group. Also the likes of niall O'Donnell, Micheal carroll, odrhan McFadden ferry , Ethan O'Donnell would have been on it.

Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 994 - 23/04/2026 22:47:26    2668251

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Same XV named as the league final, although looking at that bench there could be a few changes, great looking squad. Best wishes to players and management this weekend!

dgcrusader (Donegal) - Posts: 170 - 24/04/2026 11:30:01    2668321

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team named...but obviously could change...

Mulreanny
McColgan
McCole
Ban Gallagher
McHugh
McGonagle
Campbell
McGee
McFadden
S O'Donnell
Langan
Mogan
C O'Donnell
Murphy
Malone

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10305 - 24/04/2026 12:26:42    2668334

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Replying To eddieSize5Balls:  "I know u20s is a new thing but I meant u21s/u20s.

We put it up to teams sometimes but not winning an ulster at least with the teams we've had is frustrating."
They didn't win but twice they brought Tyrone to ET and both times after Tyrone sauntered to All Irelands. Nobody came close to them last year yet Donegal beat them and had a controversial loss in the final after extra time as well as 2020 getting to a final with Gallen and O'Donnell.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2940 - 24/04/2026 13:17:32    2668344

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Replying To Ulsterchamps_32:  "I'm not trying to be critical of the players. It's the management and the way they've set Donegal up to play the minors were at it a few years ago losing to Derry 9 to 4 and management teams need to see a bigger picture.Overall the 20s were much better to watch last year until it came to the final where it was a bit like last night until they really had to go for it in et. I guess part of it is down to the players you have and also the opposition. The opposition apart from Tyrone were not great last year.

This year though they're played the same dreary way against monaghan, Derry and Tyrone. You kind of tolerate when you win but when you lose it really does grate.

The minors this year are not playing the same as the 20s. The game against cavan was miles better than last night. I hope lacy brings about a proper philosophy change at all age groups and move us on to a move skills based player and team development even if it means us losing a bit more for a while."
I understand. The not critical of players was a reference to myself. I actually was guilty of doing this in the past and rightly got called out on it so I try not to anymore. I was at the minor game at the weekend and enjoyed it. They were a bit unlucky.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2940 - 24/04/2026 13:21:19    2668346

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