Donegal county hurling team

The Donegal county hurling team represents Donegal in hurling and is governed by Donegal GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Nicky Rackard Cup and the National Hurling League (currently Division 2B, often also in Division 3A).

Donegal's home ground is MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey. The team's manager is Mickey McCann.

The team last won the Ulster Senior Championship in 1932, but has never won the All-Ireland Senior Championship or the National League.

History

Donegal has three senior and four junior Ulster hurling titles, the last senior win coming in 1932.

Donegal has a residue of pre-GAA hurling. The Burt Hibernians brought Donegal the 1906 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship, defeating Antrim by 25 points to one. Burt later played in Derry. In 1923 Donegal fielded a team of three natives augmented with Gardaí and customs officers from hurling counties to win its second Ulster SHC. When they lined out for the semi-final, wearing blue jerseys against Limerick on a cold, miserable day in Croke Park, numbers were worn by the players for the first time to help the spectators to distinguish them. The team trailed 5–4 to nil at half-time and lost 7–4 to 0–1.

Donegal was National Hurling League Division Three champion in 2001.[1]

Led by Eamon Campbell, Donegal reached the final of the 2006 Nicky Rackard Cup, the first time the team had achieved this,[2] only to be defeated by Derry.

The county reached the final of the 2009 Lory Meagher Cup, only to be defeated by Tyrone.

Donegal won the 2011 Lory Meagher Cup.[3]

Ray Durack was manager of the county team from January 2012 until May 2015.[4][5] He led Donegal to the 2013 Nicky Rackard Cup.[6][7][8][9][10] As Nicky Rackard winners, Donegal would have expected to compete in the 2014 Christy Ring Cup.[11] However, due to restructure of the competitions, Donegal were not promoted to the 2014 Christy Ring Cup.[12] Durack then brought the county to Division 2B of the National Hurling League in 2014 (their highest league ranking in team history).[4][13] Ardal McDermott succeeded Durack as manager, serving between 2015 and 2017 and leading the county back to Division 2B of the National Hurling League in 2017 (as Division 3A champions), after the team were relegated the previous year.[14][15]

On 25 October 2017, the county board announced Mickey McCann's appointment as senior manager on a two-year contract, with the possibility of a third year in charge also mentioned.[16][17] The county board had specifically identified him after all candidates nominated for the position were rejected as unsuitable.[18] McCann led Donegal to first competitive victories over Derry and Down in the 2018 National Hurling League.[19][20][21] The 2018 Nicky Rackard Cup followed.[22]

Relegation from 2B to 3A followed in 2019, promotion to 2B followed in 2020.

Donegal defeated Mayo in the 2020 Nicky Rackard Cup Final; in doing so, the county became the first to win the competition on three occasions.[23] However, the 2020 win did not secure passage back to the 2021 Christy Ring Cup, a condition that was not made clear until shortly before the final.[24]

Current panel

Recent players include:

2013 captain: Joe Boyle[25] 2014 captain: Joe Boyle[25]

Current management team
As announced on 25 October 2017:[16]

Managerial history

Players

Notable players

All Stars
Nicky Rackard Cup All Star Awards
Lory Meagher Cup All Star Awards
  • 2009 – Jamesie Donnelly (Seán MacCumhaills)
  • 2010 – Paul O'Brien (Burt), Mark Patton (Four Masters), Ardal McDermott (Burt)
  • 2011 – Enda McDermott (Burt), Joe Boyle (Burt), Niall Campbell (Burt), Colm Breathnach (St Eunan's)
Champions 15
Nicky Rackard Cup Player of the Year

Player of the Year

Honours
Official honours, with additions noted.[46]

National

Provincial

References
  1. "Donegal crowned Division Three champions". RTÉ Sport. 7 July 2001.
  2. "Sadness at death of GAA stalwart Eamon Campbell". 7 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022. He devoted his life to the GAA and especially to hurling guiding Donegal to their first Nicky Rackard Cup final in 2006. As well as taking command of the county hurling team, Eamon was a huge driving force behind the Setanta club.
  3. "Donegal thriller at Croke Park". Inishowen News. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  4. "GAA: Donegal on the look out for a new hurling manager". 28 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  5. "Durack ready for action". Hogan Stand. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013. According to manager Ray Durack, the squad has put in a huge effort so far this year in a bid to make up for last year's shortcomings.
  6. "Donegal 3–20 Roscommon 3–16". RTÉ Sport. 8 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2013. Sean McVeigh edged Donegal in front with a 29th-minute goal, but Fallon netted a free to give the Rossies a 2-10 to 1-10 interval lead.
  7. "Donegal win Nicky Rackard Cup". Irish Examiner. 8 June 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  8. "Donegal hurlers win the Nicky Rackard cup". Donegal Now. 8 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  9. "Nicky Rackard Cup final: to Donegal the spoils". Hogan Stand. 8 June 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  10. "Donegal win Nicky Rackard Cup despite sending-off". BreakingNews.ie. 8 June 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  11. "Durack ready for Ring assault". Hogan Stand. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  12. McNulty, Chris (22 December 2013). "Durack aiming for more success as hurlers honoured". Donegal News. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  13. "High praise for Durack". Hogan Stand. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  14. McNulty, Chris (5 July 2017). "Ardal McDermott steps down as Donegal hurling boss". Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  15. https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/davin-flynn-hits-2-8-as-donegal-take-division-3a-title-35585198.html Irish Independent
  16. "Michael (Mickey) McCann appointed Senior Hurling Manager for 2018/2019". 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  17. "Mickey McCann appointed Donegal hurling manager". Irish Examiner. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  18. McNulty, Chris (23 September 2017). "County Board to headhunt hurling boss as candidates not deemed suitable". Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  19. "Donegal make their own history: Donegal 4-17 Derry 2-9". Irish Independent. 5 February 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  20. Comack, Tom (25 February 2018). "Donegal hurlers pull off an historic first win over Down in Letterkenny". Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  21. Devlin, Michael (20 June 2018). "The Cullen family continues to deliver for Donegal hurling". Retrieved 20 June 2018. Down was one of the big games, we've never beat them before.
  22. "Donegal win the Nicky Rackard Cup for the first time since 2013". Irish Independent. 23 June 2018.
  23. "Donegal goal burst enough to secure Nicky Rackard glory". RTÉ Sport. 22 November 2020.
  24. Craig, Frank (26 November 2020). "McVeigh: Sunday was a special day in Croke Park". Donegal News. p. 58. The one disappointment for [captain Sean] McVeigh and his Donegal teammates is that they will not progress back up to Christy Ring Cup level despite their Championship win last Sunday. He admits there was still some confusion on the matter even right up until late last week. That ambiguity was finally clarified, albeit late in the day.
  25. McNulty, Chris (14 February 2014). "Only way is up for Joe Boyle and Donegal hurlers". Donegal News. Retrieved 14 February 2014. Ray Durack hurled in the trenches for Burt in his time. He was appointed as the manager of the Donegal senior hurlers two years ago last month. He hails from Portumna, the hurling country of the Cannings in Galway. Andrew Wallace stepped aside after leading Donegal to the Lory Meagher title in 2011.
  26. Craig, Frank (26 January 2020). "County hurlers open at home to Armagh". Donegal News. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  27. Comack, Tom (23 June 2022). "'McVeigh will be a huge loss to Donegal'". Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  28. Ferry, Ryan (3 February 2022). "Donegal hurlers step into unknown against London". Donegal News. p. 64. McCann is now in his fifth season with Donegal, and his trusted trainer Gabriel O'Kane, who hails from Ballinascreen in Derry, is back on board. Sean MacCumhaill's clubman Jamesie Donnelly was involved in the management team last year but has now decided to step away. Donnelly hasn't been replaced… [McCann]: 'But we have got a good backroom team there with the likes of Martin McGrath and Anthony Coyle helping out'.
  29. Regan, Colin (5 August 2005). "Donegal hurling in crisis after shock expulsions". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2005. The team's player-manager, Darren McDermott, who is also a Burt man, last night described the timing of the county board's decision as 'beyond belief'.
  30. Foley, Cliona (10 July 2009). "Donegal 'sit-in' protest over Campbell ban falls on deaf ears at Croker". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  31. Gillen, Katie (9 June 2022). "'He brought humour and smiles to faces' — funeral celebrates life of Eamon Campbell". Retrieved 9 June 2022. The former Donegal senior hurling manager passed away peacefully on Tuesday the 7th of June, surrounded by his family… Eamon held the role of manager of the senior Donegal hurling team from 2006 until 2009, when he guided them to their first Nicky Rackard Final in 2006.
  32. "Sad passing of former Donegal county hurling manager Eamon Campbell". Donegal News. 9 June 2022. p. 61.
  33. "Lory Meagher Cup final: Donegal reign supreme". Hogan Stand. 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  34. "Durack ready for action". Hogan Stand. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013. According to manager Ray Durack, the squad has put in a huge effort so far this year in a bid to make up for last year's shortcomings.
  35. "Ardal McDermott steps down as Donegal hurling boss". 5 July 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2017. The Burt clubman and former Donegal player, who retired in 2012, took over from Ray Durack in late 2015.
  36. "Mickey McCann appointed Donegal hurling manager". Irish Examiner. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  37. Walsh, Harry (5 November 2016). "McHugh was in library when heard he had won an All Star". Donegal News. Retrieved 5 November 2016. Danny Cullen (Setanta) and Pádraig Doherty (Burt) make up two-thirds of the half-forward line in the 'Champions 15' selection.
  38. McNulty, Chris (3 November 2018). "Donegal star Declan Coulter is Nicky Rackard Hurler of the Year". Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  39. "Cullen and McVeigh named on Champion 15 selection". Donegal News. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  40. "Christy Ring winners Kildare lead Champion 15 selection". 15 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  41. Foley, Alan (1 December 2015). "The Donegal GAA name players of the year and various award winners for 2015". Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  42. "2015 Donegal GAA Award Winners Announced". Highland Radio. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  43. "Donegal GAA Annual Award Winners & Details of the Awards Banquet". 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  44. "CLG Dhún na nGall County Banquet & Awards Night". 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  45. "County Awards Night — Saturday November 23rd". 14 November 2019. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  46. "Donegal — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
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