Donegal’s emotional and cultural links to the west of Scotland are nothing new.
They date back to the work of St Columba, through Famine migration, the seasonal harvesting time of the navies and have been bound by a bondage of culture, language, music and sport. But what about across the eastern belt of Caledonia?
Dunedin Connolly’s of Edinburgh, currently the most dominant force in Scottish GAA circles, also owe much homage to their own links to God’s Country.
https://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=Yb_Z7I1kXtk
Video courtesy of @JohnnyFoley1984
Founded in 1988, the club have gone on to become the proverbial team-to-beat in domestic circles as well as having lifted championship trophies on the All-Britain stage at both Junior and Intermediate level through both their Men’s and Ladies setups. Such achievements that were obtained with a significant sprinkling of a Donegal-based input.
Current manager Cormac O’Gara was the man behind Connolly’s famous All-Britain success in 2009. A year later, he would also lead Napier Uni to becoming the first non-English team to taste success in the British Universities Championship.
He is also the present manager of the Scotland inter-county team that won Britain last year before losing out to Terry Hyland’s Cavan Juniors in the All-Ireland quarters. Born and raised in the Ghaeltacht area of Glencolmcille, O’Gara previously plied his trade with Naomh Columba, where he won county junior title in 2003 following a win over St Eunan’s before his emigration.
In recent seasons, the team from the Scottish capital has often bolstered Donegal natives. Johnny McGill, winner of a SFC with Adara in 2004, adorned the clubs navy and green for two seasons while Liam McGinley of Buncrana figured alongside his fellow county-man during the 2012 campaign. Since then, Carndonagh’s Dermot Doherty has signed over to the club.
Prior to that, three major contributors from Donegal within Connolly’s were Kilcar’s Tommy Deane, Killybegs’ Paddy McGee  and Aidy Martin of Donegal town. Three men who were key figures in the rejuvenation of Connolly’s at the turn of the century. A time when their their dominance of Scotland truly got underway.
Even the club’s very first team that lined out had no less than six Donegal natives within the starting fifteen. Among them were Danny Bonnar, Andy and Paul O’Donnell as well as Tony, Richard and Charlie McAuley. Of them, Tony McAuley spoke at the 25th anniversary celebration dinner in 2013 where he joyously proclaimed ‘Donegal Abú agus Connolly’s Abú.’
For the majority of the club’s existence, the home-ground on which Dunedin Connolly’s played was located at Duddingston. They’d previously been homed in Broomhouse and have since relocated to Granton Road. Their longterm home at Duddingston was largely thanks to the endeavours of Ballyshannon-born and former Donegal under-21 player, Frank Gallagher.
Kildare native Mark Whelan of Scotland in action last year against Cavan in the All-Ireland Junior quarter-final
The club’s own crest also owes its origins to our native county. The original badge was one of trade-unionist and Irish political-activist, James Connolly, owing to the fact that he was born in Edinburgh. This was changed to an artistic interpretation of the city’s famous Edinburgh Castle being embedded by a clover which was designed by Castlefin’s Ronan McGirr in 1998.
On the Ladies front, they too have often had a strong steering force from Donegal. Intercounty player of the mid-1990s and formerly of Aodh Ruadh and Naomh BrÃd was Veronica Walls. Having played with Connolly’s until a serious injury struck her down in 2013, the Ballyshannon woman remains as a helpful aid-de-camp behind the coaching of the current ladies team.
On the field, the Ladies team broke major barriers as recently as 2013 and 2014. Firstly, they not only competed in but won the British Junior Championship that that year at the very first time of asking and went insofar as to reach an All-Ireland final. Within the ranks of that side, featured Bridgeen McCarron (Buncrana), Lydia Fowley (Convoy) and Niamh Morrison (Letterkenny).
A season later and now playing in the unchartered territories of Intermediate football, Connolly’s would defy the odds again by winning an unprecedented treble of the Scottish league, championship and an All-Britain title again; this time at a higher level. Part of that success was helped by Angie Callaghan and Jonathan Foley (Maor Fhoirne), both formers of St Eunan’s.
Into 2015 and both adult teams are continuing in their quest for success. Having already won the league, the men’s team started their championship campaign off last week with a strong win over Dalraida. The ladies too have also notched a league title and despite two defeats this season to arch-rivals John Mitchell’s, their hopes of retaining the All-Britain trophy remain alive.
The depths of both squads has been strengthened by the arrival of Dermot McHugh Jnr from Donegal Town and once of the Four Masters club as well as Donegal inter-county player, Karen Feeney of Gortahork. Another major component of the Ladies is Caolfhionn Deeney, who although played for Wicklow, was born in and spent her earliest years of her life in Rathmullan.
The underage setup, which was run by ex-Waterford player, Niall Considinee, will also have fond memories of a famous trip to Croke Park in 2014 for a certain All-Ireland semi-final. Accompanied by 28 Scottish schoolkids and their parents, the Dunedin Og club were in raptures and awe as they saw Donegal put Dublin to the sword on that famous Sunday afternoon.
The linkage between the county of Donegal and Dunedin Connolly’s may certainly not be as well celebrated or publicised when compared to the likes of the green and gold of TÃr Chonaill Harps (Glasgow), yet history shows the link remains strong. The 1992 All-Ireland winning full-forward, Tony Boyle from Dungloe, kindly obliged the club by writing the foreword of the history book that marked the 25th anniversary of the club.
What’s more it was recognised at the aforementioned silver anniversary celebrations where a Donegal jersey, signed by Jim McGuinness and the majority of the All-Ireland winning team of 2012 was presented to the club to mark this milestone occasion. The jersey itself is currently on display at Malone’s Irish Bar on the city’s Forrest Road.
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