2014 Donegal season

The 2014 Donegal season was the franchise's 110th season since the County Board's foundation in 1905. The team entered the season looking to improve on their poor 2013 run and return to prominence for the first time since winning Sam Maguire MMXII.

Jim McGuinness returned for his fourth season as the team's manager. Pioneer of the game's revolutionary tactic The System,[1] he entered the season with two Ulster titles (2011, 2012), and added a third this season,[2] before becoming the first manager in team history to lead his team to two All-Ireland Finals.[3][4]

National League

Donegal won promotion from Division 2.

2014 Division 2 table
Team Pld W D L F A Diff Pts Notes
Donegal 7 5 1 1 9-97 7-67 +36 11 Advanced to final and promoted to Division 1 for 2015
Monaghan 7 5 1 1 3-107 3-78 +29 11
Meath 7 4 1 2 9-87 8-95 –5 9

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Round 1
Laois 1-9 – 2-19 Donegal

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Round 2
Galway 0-12 – 1-16 Donegal

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Round 3
Donegal 2-11 – 0-10 Monaghan

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Round 4
Donegal 1-12 – 1-12 Meath

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Round 5
Down 1-9 – 0-10 Donegal

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Round 6
Donegal 1-19 – 3-7 Louth

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Round 7
Armagh 1-8 – 2-10 Donegal

27 April 2014
2:00 pm
Final
Monaghan 1-16 – 1-10 Donegal
K Hughes 1-1, P Finlay (1f), C McManus 0-3 each, P McKenna, D Hughes 0-2 each, R Beggan ('45), D Mone, D Clerkin, C McGuinness, F Kelly 0-1 each Report M Murphy 1-4 (1 pen, 3f), C McFadden 0-4 (3f), P McBrearty, O MacNiallais 0-1 each
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 38,841
Referee: David Gough (Meath)

Ulster Championship

Donegal won the Ulster Championship for a third time in four seasons.

25 May 2014
2.00pm
Quarter-final
Derry 0-11 – 1-11 Donegal
M Lynch (0-04), E Bradley (0-03), B Heron (0-02), C McFaul, N Holly (0-01 each) Report L McLoone (1-01), M Murphy (0-04), K Lacey, A Thompson, C Toye, D O'Connor, P McBrearty, M McElhinney (0-01 each)
Celtic Park, Derry
Attendance: 15,883
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)

22 June 2014
2.00pm
Semi-final
Donegal 3-16 – 0-12 Antrim
D O'Connor, L McLoone (1-02 each), D Molloy (1-01), O MacNialais (0-04), M Murphy (0-03), C Toye, C McFadden (0-02 each) Report T McCann, B Neeson (0-03 each), M Sweeney (0-02), C Murray, P McCann, K Niblock, P Cunningham (0-01 each)
St Tiernach's Park
Attendance: 11,795
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)

20 July 2014
4.00pm
Final
Monaghan 1-09 – 0-15 Donegal
P Finlay (0-04), C McGuinness (1-00), R Beggan (0-02), V Corey, K Hughes, C McManus (0-01 each) Report C McFadden (0-04), P McBrearty , O MacNiallais (0-03 each), M Murphy (0-02), A Thompson, K Lacey, R McHugh (0-01 each)

All-Ireland Championship

Donegal reached the All-Ireland Final for a second time in three seasons.

9 August 2014
4.00pm
Quarter-final B
Donegal 1-12 – 1-11 Armagh
M Murphy (0-05), O MacNiallais (1-01), C McFadden (0-03), P McBrearty (0-02), N McGee (0-01) Report T Kernan (0-04), A Kernan (0-02), A Mallon, A Forker, S Campbell, K Carragher, M Murray (0-01 each)
P Durcan (1-00 own goal)
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 72,440
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)

31 August 2014
3:30pm
Semi-final
Donegal 3-14 - 0-17 Dublin
R McHugh 2-02, C McFadden 1-03 (2fs), M Murphy 0-03 (2fs), P McBrearty 0-02, K Lacey, F McGlynn, O MacNiallais, R Kavanagh 0-01 each Report D Connolly 0-05 (1f), P Flynn 0-04, B Brogan 0-03 (1f), A Brogan, P Andrews 0-02 each, P McMahon 0-01
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 81,500
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)

21 September 2014
Final
Donegal v Kerry

All Stars

Donegal achieved four All Stars.

Pos.PlayerTeamAppearances
GK Paul DurcanDonegal 2
RCB Paul Murphy Kerry 1
FB Neil McGeeDonegal 3
LCB Keith HigginsMayo3
RWB James McCarthyDublin 1
CB Peter CrowleyKerry 1
LWB Colm BoyleMayo 2
MD Neil GallagherDonegal 2
MD David MoranKerry 1
RWF Paul FlynnDublin 4
CF Michael MurphyDonegal 2
LWF Diarmuid ConnollyDublin 1
RCF Cillian O'ConnorMayo 1
FF Kieran DonaghyKerry 3
LCF James O'DonoghueFOTYKerry 2
County breakdown

Management

Team roster

No. Player Position Club
1 Paul Durcan Goalkeeper The Four Masters
2 Eamon McGee Right Corner Back Ghaoth Dobhair
3 Neil McGee Full Back Ghaoth Dobhair
4 Paddy McGrath Left Corner Back Ardara
5 Anthony Thompson Right Half Back Naomh Conaill
6 Karl Lacey Centre Back The Four Masters
7 Frank McGlynn Left Half Back Glenfin
8 Neil Gallagher Midfield Glenswilly
9 Odhrán Mac Niallais Midfield Ghaoth Dobhair
10 Christy Toye Right Half Forward Naomh Mícheál
11 Leo McLoone Centre Forward Naomh Conaill
12 Ryan McHugh Left Half Forward Chíll Chartha
13 Patrick McBrearty Right Corner Forward Chíll Chartha
14 Michael Murphy (c) Full Forward Glenswilly
15 Colm McFadden Left Corner Forward Naomh Mícheál
No. Player Position Club
16 Michael Boyle Substitute Termon
17 Darach O'Connor Substitute Buncrana
18 David Walsh Substitute Naomh Bríd
19 Declan Walsh Substitute Malin
20 Dermot Molloy Substitute Naomh Conaill
21 Hugh McFadden Substitute Na Cealla Beaga
22 Leon Thompson Substitute Naomh Conaill
23 Luke Keaney Substitute The Four Masters
24 Martin McElhinney Substitute Naomh Mícheál
25 Martin O'Reilly Substitute Seán MacCumhaill's
26 Rory Kavanagh Substitute Naomh Adhamhnáin

Squad as per Donegal vs Dublin, 2014 All-Ireland Semi Final, 31 August 2014

Kit

References

  1. 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.
  2. "Ulster Football Final: Donegal beat Monaghan in provincial decider". BBC Sport (BBC). 20 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  3. "GAA: Donegal record stunning six-point victory over Dublin in All-Ireland SFC semi-final". Sky Sports (BSkyB). 1 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  4. Harkin, Greg (31 August 2014). "Written off by everyone - but Donegal tear up the script". Irish Independent (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 31 August 2014.
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