T was a good month for the Donegal senior footballers.
They began with an emphatic 1-25 to 1-15 victory over Derry in the Preliminary Round in front of packed terraces at MacCumhaill Park.
Two weeks later, they were out once again in the Ulster quarter-final and were sweating late on before defeating Monaghan by 0-23 to 0-21.
The Ulster Championship semi-final against Down was a low-key affair but Jim McGuinness’s side came good to win by 1-19 to 0-16.
The Donegal Under 20 footballers also reached the provincial final when they hammered Cavan in Ballybofey.
Earlier in April, they recorded an impressive victory over Tyrone to ensure that they topped their group.
The Donegal minor footballers lost narrowly against Tyrone in the Ulster League Final in Maghera.
However, they bounced back from that disappointment and saw off Monaghan by 3-10 to 3-8 in their Ulster Championship opener.
The Donegal senior hurlers were frustrated at the start of April as their Nickey Rackard Cup campaign began slowly.
They competed well against Derry before losing by 1-21 to 1-17 and then were beaten at home by Wicklow.
Mickey McCann’s men made light work of rivals Tyrone in the Nickey Rackard Cup and romped to a 23-point victory.
The county minor hurlers saw off Sligo by 3-11 to 1-12 in the Celtic Challenge.
The Donegal Under 14 girls team got the better of Monaghan by one point to win the Gold Final in Garvaghy.
Donegal senior ladies captain Roisin Rodgers was named in the Lidl Division Two Team of the League.
Abbey Vocational School pair Turlough Carr and Conor McCahill as well as Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair duo Padraig Mac Giolla Bhride and Cathal Ó Gallchoir were named on the Ulster Schools All-Star team.
In soccer, Kevin McHugh was appointed as the new Finn Harps First Team Manager on April 2.
The Ballybofey side drew three of their next four matches and defeated Kerry 4-2.
However, their unbeaten run came to an end at the end of the month when they lost 3-1 against Cobh Ramblers.
It was a good month for Letterkenny Rovers and they sealed the Brian McCormick Sports Premier Division with a 2-1 win over Rathmullan Celtic at the Flagpole Field.
BJ Banda was the hero as he scored the winning goal as Letterkenny Rovers defeated Kildrum Tigers 1-0 in a feisty Ulster Cup Final.
There was delight for Glenea United as they clinched the Temple Domestic Appliances Division One title after finishing one point ahead of Donegal Town, who were also promoted.
Kerrykeel ’71 were celebrating as they clinched the Donegal Physiotherapy & Performance Centre Division Two when they got the better of Convoy Arsenal 2-1 in a title decider.
Jack Burke McBride notched the only goal of the game as Cappry Rovers won their promotion/relegation play-off with Whitestrand United and retained their Division One status.
Oldtown Celtic got their hands on the Glencar Inn Saturday Division One title for the fourth successive year when they saw off Keadue Rovers Reserves.
Letterkenny Rovers Reserves secured the Old Orchard Inn Saturday Division Two title.
However, the Leckview Park men didn’t get the double they craved as they were beaten by Quigley’s Point Swifts in the Ulster Shield Final.
Amber Barrett played her part as Standard Liege defeated Anderlecht 1-0 to win the Belgian Cup.
St Johnston’s Harry Pearson signed his first pro contract with Coleraine.
In athletics, Finn Valley AC’s Jon-Jo Doherty won the Ballyliffin Coastal Challenge
Claire McGuigan of Letterkenny AC came third in the Omagh Half-Marathon.
Mark Ward of Rosses AC was the winner of the Scoil Mhuire 5k in Ramelton, while Louis Deery Smith came out on top in the Errigal College 5k.
Blathnaid Patton of Finn Valley AC was the first female home in the Dubrovnik Half-Marathon.
Adrian Bonner of Rosses AC won the M50 category at the Quest Glendalough Adventure Race.
It was announced that Finn Valley AC were the winners of the Kennedy Cup as ‘Best National Cup’.
The Olympic Federation of Ireland confirmed that Milford man Brendan Boyce was part of the newly-elected Athletes’ Commission for the 2025-28 term.
Dungloe boxer Katelynn O’Donnell was crowned National champion in the Girl 1 49kg final when she beat Layla Ayres of St Brigid’s, Edenderry.
David Tennyson of Derryveagh Boxing Club impressed in Scotland as he won the Caledonia Box Cup.
The Donegal boxing team got the better of their Mayo counterparts by ten bouts to eight in an inter-county tournament in Ballina.
Dennis Lafferty’s fight trilogy with Neil Rawlinson ended in defeat and the Ballindrait man picked up a broken hand in the process.
Darts player John Meencha came out on top in the prestigious John Harkin Memorial Cup.
Dean Gallagher was the winner of the Norman Blain Darts tournament.
In motorsport, it was a busy few weeks for Garry Jennings and his Letterkenny co-driver Rory Kennedy.
They claimed victory in the Tour of the Sperrins rally and then the Manx rally in the Isle of Man.
The pair then followed that up with a second place in the Circuit of Ireland rally.
Donegal Town man David Kelly finished in third place, while Michael Boyle was fifth, one spot ahead of his father Declan.
Mountcharles driver Joseph Kelly took a notable win in the Kielder Carlisle Stages rally.
Ballyare teenager Patrick McGettigan helped himself to a 50/1 winner in Dundalk aboard Hezahunk.
