THERE is a huge buzz in Donegal this week as we look forward to our fourth ever All-Ireland Final.

All people want to do this week is talk about the team and where they might get tickets.

It’s been a brilliant summer so far and it’s fantastic that our county team are down to the last two and will still be standing until the final game of the inter-county season.

Donegal were outstanding in the semi-final against Meath and to win by twenty points was fantastic. I think you could tell after about 15 minutes that it was going to be Donegal’s day.

Meath had the breeze in the first half and you knew the wides they were kicking were going to be costly. Donegal could have been further than five points ahead at half-time but there was no sense of worry.

And when Oisin Gallen hit the net early in the second half, it was game over.

It was good from Donegal’s point of view that they were able to ease through the final 25 minutes and protect their key players.

However, from a spectacle point of view, it was a bit disappointing. It’s been a great championship so far but both semi-finals were a bit flat.

And that was a pity because the atmosphere before the match was electric and Croke Park was a great sight with a sea of green and gold. However, it was still a good day out for the Donegal supporters and for the team.

It’s eleven years since we reached the final, and a lot of those players have given great service during the intervening time.

People can underestimate just how much the players give to the cause.

You’re talking huge sacrifices, and to be at the top end of the game, you have to live every minute for the team.

I know a lot of the players well and I’m delighted for them because they have kept coming back for more and have worked so hard to improve.

There were a number of magnificent performances on Sunday.

Finnbarr Roarty once again defied his teenage years and covered every blade of grass. He is relentless in the tackle and empties himself every time to get up the field and support attacks.

Michael Langan was outstanding in the middle of the field, while Conor O’Donnell was a huge threat inside.

I was delighted for Hugh McFadden. He’s a massive leader for the team and he was strong in the middle.

Brendan McCole had a super game on Jordan Morris, and he’s a great example to young players.

It’s not that long ago that he struggled against Meath in a league final and was replaced early.

It was a tough time for Brendan but it didn’t break him. He has shown great resilience and is now the top full-back in the game.

The strength of the Donegal bench also came to the fore and there will be huge competition just to get into the matchday 26 never mind the starting team.

You can tell there is a good focus to the team and they won’t get distracted by the ticket scramble or outside influences. They know there is one big hurdle to go.

I do think it’s a pity that there isn’t a three-week break before the final.

In 1992 we had five weeks to get ready and that was too long.

However, a fortnight is short. The players won’t do much until the weekend and there will be different things to sort out.

An extra seven days would be useful but at this stage, it won’t bother the squad.

They’ll meet up this weekend and go through their strategy and I’ve no doubt that they will be ready for action on Sunday week.

Tyrone

Tyrone will be very disappointed in their showing against Kerry.

Meath were in bonus territory and they got a reminder that they are a bit off the top level.

They have to try and build things up and get into Division 2.

Tyrone have struggled for consistency all season and they just didn’t hit the right performance against Kerry.

They managed to handle Paudie Clifford and Seanie O’Shea but Padraig Hampsey was badly exposed on David Clifford. There just simply wasn’t enough support coming to back him up.

Sometimes in management you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

Eoin McElholm was excellent when he came off the bench against Dublin, Tyrone must have felt he could hurt Kerry.

He started well but faded and the Red Hands didn’t have the kick they needed then off the bench.

In the end there were a few highs for Malachy O’Rourke and his Tyrone side this season but also a couple of lows.

It will be interesting to see if he tries to freshen things up next season.

Mattie Donnelly and Peter Harte have been great servants but are well into their thirties now, while the likes of Hampsey and Kieran McGeary have been on the go for the best part of a decade.

Tyrone have been doing very well at underage level and there is a good pool of talent there.

There might be a temptation now to turn to some of those players and bring extra freshness.

Kerry and Donegal certainly won’t be thinking about next year this week. It will all be about the here and the now.

The players will just want to stay sharp without doing anything that might cause injury.

For me, there’s no doubt that the two best teams have reached the All-Ireland Final and we could be in for a high-scoring cracker on Sunday week.

U16 Ladies

Well done to the Donegal Under 16 Ladies team on their fine win over Leitrim on Tuesday in Tempo.

The team ran up a huge scoreline against Leitrim and won in style.

It’s a super achievement for the team and joint-managers Paul Gillespie and Dessie McNamara.

The Donegal Senior Ladies team are going through a transition period at the moment.

It’s encouraging that there are young players coming through to bolster the team in the coming years.

Well done to all involved and hopefully it won’t be the only All-Ireland coming back to Donegal this month!