Jim McGuinness managed to slip away from the crowd of admirers and selfie seekers, heading towards the Gerry Arthurs stand as the jubilant fans of Donegal rushed onto the pitch to celebrate. He navigated towards a gate, eventually escaping the groundswell. His destination was the stand seats, where his mother Maureen awaited. Upon reaching her, the pair shared a heartwarming embrace, the joy of the day encapsulated in that single moment.
McGuinness spoke about how his mother hadn’t been out much of late, mirroring the recent experiences of Donegal itself.
McGuinness’s team, Donegal, secured their Ulster title in a hard-fought battle. They overpowered Derry – the fan favourites and reputedly the best team in the province. They also defeated both Tyrone and Armagh with games that stretched into extra time and penalties. Each victory was hard-won and hard-fought.
The path to their success was not smooth. A year ago, Donegal had a lacklustre performance, suffering defeat in Ulster at the hands of Down. Their participation in the All-Ireland series resulted in an unremarkable run, culminating in a quiet defeat to Tyrone on their home turf in Ballybofey. At that point, a day of such victory seemed a distant dream.
However, it was the resilience of the Donegal players themselves that convinced McGuinness to return. Surrounded by the clangour and excitement in the Clones tunnel, with the echoes of their 11th title celebration in the background, McGuinness attempted to vocalise how it all came together, and the depth of its significance.
McGuinness related how his players showed up at his door the day after they were defeated by Tyrone, and their determination didn’t waver from thereon out. He told of how two days later, he found a letter in his post box. Despite their setbacks, they remained unrelenting in their pursuit. This persistence stirred his emotions and led him to question whether he could turn things around. He wasn’t currently coaching, so the question lingered in his mind. In the end, it was Paddy McBrearty who managed to sway him.
The Ulster final was a wave of emotions. For the third consecutive year, the game was stretched into extra-time and for the second time, it came down to penalties. Braving the wave of weather changes from burning-hot sunlight to a massive thunderstorm that drove multitudes towards the local pubs at the half-time seeking dry comfort, the game witnessed a full stadium of 28,896 spectators.
The climax came when Shaun Patton leapt to the right to defend against Shane Partlan’s sudden-death penalty, causing an uproarious reaction from the crowd. When asked about the impact of emotion within such games, McGuinnes stated its significance as “major”. He further emphasised that the essence of inter-county football stems from an individual’s origin and representation. The ones playing are deemed lucky, among the 15 and 26 players on-field.
The team watched hurling in the waiting room the previous night, inspiring them for the weekend game. They stepped onto the field, leaving no stone unturned. Belief sprouted to be the essential key to their victory. According to McGuinness, if the vision of oneself playing in the depths of winter on the final day in Clones does not exist, then there’s no reason to be back. The players battled multifaceted cultural and fitness challenges. Though it was far from perfect, they gave everything and that’s what is important.
On the other hand, it was yet another heartbreaking loss for Armagh, marking their fourth penalty shoot-out defeat. They might be repentant for not taking over the game when the odds were in their favour and for lacking audacity when victory was within their grasp. Towards the end of the standard time, they twice marked inside the Donegal 45, but unfortunately, they turned around and kicked them in reverse. Irrespective of the penalties’ unpredictability, this defeat seems to be becoming a routine for them in games they’re set to win.
Kieran McGeeney shared some insights following the match, “I wouldn’t go as far to say this is a habit of ours,” he remarked. “We’ve exhibited determination by fighting back and staging comebacks numerous times. However, Oisín Conaty almost scoring was quite possibly the pivotal moment today. Despite his attempt being partially blocked and falling straight to the goalkeeper’s palms, it could have increased our lead by five. Nevertheless, we can’t deny Donegal’s prowess on the field, as everyone has recognised, and they deserve the applause, that’s the crux of it,” he concluded.