WHILE CONCEDING THAT he will be without a ‘special talent’ in the absent Paul Durcan, Donegal manager Rory Gallagher is heading for the summer full of confidence.
Gallagher confirmed at last night launch of the 2016 Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Donegal Club Championships that Durcan will not be lining out for Donegal this summer.
The double All-Star has been based in Qatar, where he is working, since the end of 2015 and, while he commuted to help Ballyboden St Enda’s to Leinster and All-Ireland club championship titles.
Gallagher had a hunch from an early stage that he wouldn’t have the Donegal town native available.
The Donegal manager has had to field questions about Durcan’s availability over the last six months, but finally the issue has been put to bed with confirmation that the 2012 and 2014 All-Star won’t be in the panel this summer.
“We had the mindset that he wasn’t going to be available and it would have been a bonus if he was,” Gallagher said last night in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Letterkenny.
“We respect his decision. Paul has given us great service.
“It was always a wait and see with Paul. It depended on his work sitiuation.
[adrotate group=”53″]“He went out to progress and further his career for himself and his wife. Work is pretty plentiful and the company he’s with are very keen for him to stay.
“We’re happy to work with the lads that we have.
“Paul is a special talent and we’d be a stronger team with him, but we move on now.”
Michael Boyle suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury last autumn, but could be back in time to make a bid for inclusion in Donegal’s opening Ulster SFC game, against Antrim or Fermanagh on June 12.
Danny Rodgers played in two of Donegal’s Dr McKenna Cup games while the Allianz League saw Peter Boyle and Mark Anthony McGinley share the number 1 shirt.
Donegal had a flying start to the League with impressive wins over Down, Cork and Mayo, but they lost their next four to Roscommon, Kerry, Dublin and Monaghan before losing to Dublin in a semi-final.
Despite losing five on the spin, Gallagher is going down the summer road insisting that his team is well placed to deliver silverware.
[adrotate group=”46″]Gallagher said: “We’d be disappointed to have lost the last couple of regulation League games. We felt that we let the Monaghan and Kerry games slip a wee bit, but our sole focus was all on the Championship.
“We went out to survive in the Division and bring a lot of new players in and we managed to do that. We’re very confident going forward.
“We are delighted to be out on the 12th of June – it’s the first time in the last six years that we’re not out in the preliminary round or one of the early quarter-finals.
“Given the age profile and the hard number of years our lads have had, it’s an ideal start. It leaves it a five-week Championship from the 12th June to the 17th of July to win Ulster and that’s ideal for us.”
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