IF EVER THERE was a day to emphasise what Gaelic football means to a community, it was today at Rosses Park in Dungloe.
Dungloe 0-1 Kilcar 1-14
Seven days beforehand there was euphoria for the townsfolk from Kilcar as they lifted the Dr Maguire Cup for the first time in 24 years and if things today were a little more relaxed, there were miles of smiles as Patrick McBrearty lifted the All-County Football League Division 1 trophy. It was the first double in the Towney-based club’s history.
With there reserve team having also wrapped up league honours with a walkover victory over Dungloe, that panel and the delighted children from the parish all joined the seniors in a sense of togetherness for the post-match photographs. Everyone played a part.
Kilcar reserve captain David McShane collects the All-County Football League Division 1 trophy for his side today in Dungloe
This afternoon, Kilcar enjoyed a leisurely enough runabout ahead of next Sunday’s Ulster club championship quarter-final against Scotstown in Clones, against an understrength Dungloe and won the game and their second league in succession at a canter.
There was an impeccably observed minute’s silence beforehand in the memory of the late Pat Shovelin, Donegal’s 2012 All-Ireland winning goalkeeping coach, just after Dungloe had given Kilcar a guard of honour onto the pitch.
In truth, Kilcar, under the stewardship of Barry Doherty, had done most of their groundwork before today. In the summer months his side maintained a level of form without their county players and those who were in the United States or away from home and made their panel better for it.
That experience that was built up has since beefed up Kilcar’s strength in depth and it as evident again this afternoon with the likes of Brian O’Donnell, Mark Sweeney and Andrew McClean coming off the bench in the second half to impress.
At half-time, it was 0-4 to 0-1 for the visitors having played with the slight wind at their backs but up the hill as they say in Dungloe.
Ryan Greene’s free on 17 minutes would be the sum total of Dungloe’s scoring exploits but they too had done what they needed to do – avoiding the complexities of the relegation dogfight – beforehand.
Kilcar captain Patrick McBrearty accepts the All-County Football League Division 1 trophy from Sean Dunnion, chairman of the Donegal County Board, this afternoon in Dungloe
McBrearty scored a fine long range point to open the scoring and then, 15 minutes in, Eoin McHugh’s mazy run was rewarded with a second Kilcar score. McBrearty added a third Kilcar point and Michael Hegarty’s finishing of a fine move right on half-time gave the impression that although their half-time lead was only three points, Kilcar had all the gears they wanted to move into.
So it proved and by the conclusion the scoreline was a more apt refection of what had gone on beforehand. Kilcar didn’t get anywhere near their free-flowing best, although coming through the contest unscathed with be of satisfaction before the priorities shift this week from domestic to provincial.
The scores just kept on coming in the second half, Ryan McHugh popped over two points, McBrearty another two and Stephen McBrearty, O’Donnell, Sweeney and McClean joined Hegarty on the scoreline.
Two minutes from time, Ryan McHugh scored the only goal of the game, typically burning rubber from deep before a give-and-go with Mark Sweeney to shoot past Ciaran Sharkey in the Dungloe goal.
Kilcar: Eamonn McGinley; Barry McGinley, Conor McShane, Pauric Carr; Ryan McHugh (1-2), Michael Hegarty (0-3), Barry Shovlin; Mark McHugh, Ciaran McGinley; Conor Doherty, Stephen Shovlin, Eoin McHugh(0-1); Stephen McBrearty (0-1), Patrick McBrearty(0-4, 2f), Matthew McClean. Subs: Mark Sweeney (0-1) for M McClean (39), Brian O’Donnell (0-1) for S Shovlin (41), Andrew McClean (0-1) for Doherty (44), Ashley Carr and Aodh McGinley for S McBrearty and C McShane (57), Paddy McShane for B Shovlin (60).
Dungloe: Ciaran Sharkey; Jason McBride, Mark Curran, Doalty Boyle; Caolan Ward, Jack Scally, Matthew Ward; Darren Curran, Raymond Sweeney; Barry Curran, Ryan Greene (0-1, 1f), Shaun Wallace; Paul McGarvey, Conor Greene, Shaun McGee. Subs: Christopher Boyle for Wallace (40), Mark Clerkin for R Greene (55)
Referee: Seamus McGonagle (Aodh Ruadh)
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