Declan Bonner says he will sit down with Odhrán Mac Niallais next week in a bid to convince the Gaoth Dobhair ace to return to Donegal’s colours.
Mac Niallais indicated after Gaoth Dobhair’s All-Ireland semi-final loss to Corofin in February that he ‘needed a break’.
Mac Niallais has appeared for Gweedore Celtic in the Donegal League, but has made no commitment to Donegal for the Championship.
Gaoth Dobhair faced Corofin in Carrick-On-Shannon just three weeks after Gaoth Dobhair player Micheál Roarty was one of four young men to lose their lives in a road traffic accident in west Donegal.
At the time, Mac Niallais said he needed to have ‘a few weeks out’.
“I am nearly two years now on the go and it is non-stop,” he said at the time.
“I just need a break, especially after the last few weeks.
“It’s tough. I just need a bit of time out. There is a lot of pressure and I need to do a bit of relaxing.”
Bonner, speaking ahead of Saturday evening’s Division 2 final against Meath at Croke Park, indicated that he has already spoken to Mac Niallais about a return.
“We will sit down next week and chat with Odhrán again,” Bonner said. “It was always going to be the end of the League before any decision was made on that.
“We’ll concentrate on Saturday’s game first and next week we’ll start to make our plans for the Championship.”
Mac Niallais would be central to those plans if he were to return.
His Gaoth Dobhair colleagues Neil McGee and Daire Ó Baoill have already seen game time while Odhran McFadden-Ferry and Micheál Carroll are also back in training with the county squad.
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