2011 Donegal season

The 2011 Donegal season was the franchise's 107th season since the County Board's foundation in 1905. The team ended the season as Ulster champions after winning the 2011 Ulster Senior Football Championship. It was their sixth title and a first since Brian McEniff led the team to Sam MCMXCII.

Ahead of the new season, Jim McGuinness was appointed as the team's manager, bringing to an end the era of John Joe Doherty.[1][2] The arrival of McGuinness brought the first appearance of a soon-to-be revolutionary revolutionary tactic The System.[3]

Ulster Championship

15 May 2011
3:30pm
Preliminary round
Donegal 1-10 - 0-7 Antrim
M McHugh 1-1, M Murphy 0-3 (3f), R Bradley, C McFadden (1f) 0-2 each, D Molloy, A Hanlon 0-1 each Report T McCann, P Cunningham (1f), K Niblock (2f) 0-2 each, M Dougan 0-1
MacCumhail Park, Ballybofey
Attendance: 7,385
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)

12 June 2011
3:30pm
Quarter-final
Donegal 2-14 - 1-8 Cavan
P McBrearty 1-3 (1f), C McFadden 0-5 (2f), R Kavanagh 1-0, D Molloy 0-2, K Cassidy, K Rafferty, L McLoone and M Murphy 0-1(f) each Report M Brennan 1-1, N McDermott 0-4 (3f), G McKiernan, F Flanagan and S Johnston 0-1 (f) each.
Breffni Park, Cavan
Attendance: 9,325
Referee: Marty Duffy (Sligo)

26 June 2011
3:30pm
Semi-final
Tyrone 0-9 - 2-6 Donegal
S O'Neill 0-2, S Cavanagh 0-2 (1f), P Jordan, B Dooher, O Mulligan, M Penrose and P Harte (f) 0-1 each Report C McFadden 1-1 (1f), D Molloy 1-0, M Murphy 0-2 (1f), K Cassidy, K Rafferty and P McBrearty 0-1 each
St. Tiernach's Park, Clones
Attendance: 18,536
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)

17 July 2011
4:00pm
Final
Derry 0-08 - 1-11 Donegal
J Kielt 0-04 (2f), C Kielt 0-02, C Gilligan (f), M Donaghy 0-01 each Report M Murphy 1-02 (1-00 pen), C McFadden 0-04 (2f), M Hegarty, A Thompson 0-02 each, R Bradley 0-01
St. Tiernach's Park, Clones
Attendance: 28,364
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)

All-Ireland Championship

30 July
6:00pm
Quarter-final
Donegal 1-12 - 0-14
A.E.T.
Kildare
C Toye 1-1, M Murphy 0-3 (1f), K Cassidy 0-2, K Lacey, R Kavanagh, M McHugh, R Bradley, P McBrearty, D Molloy 0-1 each Report E O'Flaherty 0-6 (4f), A Smith 0-2, E Bolton, P O'Neill, E Callaghan, J Kavanagh, G White (f), R Sweeney 0-1 each
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 39,612
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)

28 August 2011
3:30pm
Semi-final
Dublin 0-08 - 0-06 Donegal
B Brogan 0-04 (4f), S Cluxton 0-02 (1f, 1 '45), B Cullen, K McManamon 0-01 each Report C McFadden 0-4 (2f), K Cassidy, R Bradley 0-01 each
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 81,436
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)

All Stars

Donegal achieved three All Stars.

Pos.PlayerTeamAppearances
GK Stephen Cluxton Dublin 4
RCB Marc Ó Sé Kerry 3
FB Neil McGee Donegal 1
LCB Michael Foley Kildare 1
RWB Kevin Cassidy Donegal 2
CB Karl Lacey Donegal 3
LWB Kevin Nolan Dublin 1
MD Bryan Sheehan Kerry 1
MD Michael D. Macauley Dublin 1
RWF Darran O'Sullivan Kerry 1
CF Alan BroganFOTY Dublin 3
LWF Paul Flynn Dublin 1
RCF Colm Cooper Kerry 7
FF Andy Moran Mayo 1
LCF Bernard Brogan Dublin 2
County breakdown

Management

Team roster

New manager Jim McGuinness included Kevin Cassidy (who intended to retire at the end of the previous season) and Michael Hegarty (who was not involved in the previous season) in his squad for the 2011 Dr. McKenna Cup. Also named were several of the under-21s, including Peter Boyle, Thomas McKinley, Daniel McLaughlin, Kevin Mulhern and Antoin McFadden, and Johnny Bonner and Marty Boyle, stars of Naomh Conaill's run to the 2010 Ulster club football final.[5]

McKenna Cup roster

Paul Durcan, Peter Boyle, Karl Lacey, Neil McGee, Barry Dunnion, Johnny Bonner, Tomas McKinley, Edward Kelly, Neil Gallagher, Rory Kavanagh, Christopher Murrin, Dermot Molloy, Michael Hegarty, Colm McFadden, Daniel McLaughlin, Marty Boyle, David Walsh, Adrian Hanlon, Michael Murphy, Paddy McGrath, Kevin Mulhern, Leo McLoone, Ryan Bradley, Kevin Cassidy, Frank McGlynn, Antoin McFadden.

Championship roster
Details
No. Player Position Club
1 Paul Durcan Goalkeeper The Four Masters
2 Frank McGlynn Right Corner Back Glenfin
3 Neil McGee Full Back Ghaoth Dobhair
4 Paddy McGrath Left Corner Back Ard an Rátha
5 Anthony Thompson Right Half Back Naomh Conaill
6 Karl Lacey Centre Back The Four Masters
7 Kevin Cassidy Left Half Back Ghaoth Dobhair
8 Neil Gallagher Midfield Glenswilly
9 Rory Kavanagh Midfield Naomh Adhamhnáin
10 Mark McHugh Right Half Forward Chíll Chartha
11 Michael Hegarty Center Forward Chíll Chartha
12 Ryan Bradley Left Half Forward Buncrana
13 Patrick McBrearty Right Corner Forward Chíll Chartha
14 David Walsh Full Forward Naomh Bríd
15 Colm McFadden Left Corner Forward Naomh Mícheál
No. Player Position Club
16 Michael Boyle Goalkeeper Termon
17 Eddie Kelly Full Back Urris
18 Michael Maguire Right Corner Back Glencolumbkille
19 Kevin Rafferty Midfield Naomh Adhamhnáin
20 Ciarán Mac Grianna Centre Forward Naomh Adhamhnáin
21 Ross Wherity Centre Forward Naomh Adhamhnáin
22 Fergal McNulty Full Forward An Urnaigh
23 Gareth Concarr Right Half Forward Ard an Rátha
24 Ross Wherity Right Half Back Naomh Adhamhnáin
25 Barry Dunnion Right Half Back The Four Masters
26 Brendan Boyle Left Half Forward Ard an Rátha
27 Lee McFadden Right Half Back Cloughaneely
28 Eoin Waide Left Half Back Naomh Conaill
29 Leo McLoone Center Half Forward Naomh Conaill

Christy Toye

Squad as per Donegal vs Kildare, 2011 All-Ireland Quarter-final, 30 July 2011

Kit

References

  1. "Doherty resigns as Donegal manager". RTÉ Sport (Raidió Teilifís Éireann). 28 June 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  2. "McGuinness appointed as Donegal manager". BBC Sport (BBC). 26 July 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  3. Duggan, Keith (2 September 2014). "Neil McGee: pushing bodies on was key to Dublin upset - ‘We went away to a training camp for four, five days and Jim more or less broke down their game plan and we exploited it’". The Irish Times (Irish Times Trust). p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2014. One of the lazier stereotypes about the Donegal defensive game – generally labelled ‘the system’ – is that it somehow does the work on its own. But McGee had plenty of moments in the spotlight with Brogan on Sunday and took his turn roaming forward like the other Donegal back six.
  4. Craig, Frank. "Interview: Keepers deserve their ‘Pat’ on the back". Ardara. As well as Pat, the hospital's surgical consultant, Kevin Moran; team doctor, Charlie McManus and team physio, Dermot Simpson, are all part of McGuinness' backroom team.
  5. "Cassidy and Hegarty in McGuinness' Donegal panel". BBC Sport (BBC). 17 December 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
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