BY RYAN FERRY
IT’S been a good start to the season for the Donegal Masters team but their credentials will be put to the test by Tyrone at Páirc Aodh Rua on Saturday at 2pm.
Tyrone are the undisputed kings of Masters football. They have won the last five All-Ireland titles and defeated Donegal in last year’s final by 5-10 to 1-9.
Glenswilly’s Eddie Crawford is back in charge of Donegal this season and he says things have been motoring well for the team in 2026.
“We played friendlies this year in pre-season as we were trying to recruit a few new players.
“We had games in Carndonagh, Glenswilly, and Cloughaneely.
“Then we went to America for the Donegal tournament in Philadelphia.
“We have been back training every week then since we got back from America.
“We’re training every Wednesday night in the COE in Convoy. We have had a gym programme this year and everyone was doing their bit.
“We’re due to train this week and we have 33 players so far confirmed to go and we’re in the holiday period now and have a few boys injured as well.
“We’re happy enough with where we are at.”
Kieran Doherty (St Eunan’s), Gerard Melaugh (Red Hughs) Eugene Maguire (Cloughaneely, Shane Bradley (Na Rossa), and Aiden Duddy (Naomh Ultan) are among the new faces involved this year and they will all provide value for the team.
Crawford says it’s important to freshen up the side but the spirit of Masters football goes beyond winning the next match.
“Most of the boys are still there from last year.
“There’s a social side to the Masters as well.
“We have a WhatsApp group for the social members for boys that want to go on the trips with us.
“I think we have maybe up to 100 members on the social side of it which is great.
“Everyone is part of it and we wouldn’t ever say to somebody not to come to training. Everyone is welcome.”
Donegal have won their first two matches in good style and are determined to finish in the top four to make sure they are in the main section when the knock-out football begins.
“We played Cavan in our first game in Bundoran and we beat them by three points.
“Cavan won the Shield last year and are a fairly good side.
“Then two weeks ago we played Antrim up in Foreglen and had a good win again.
“We’re looking forward to Tyrone now and we know that will be tough.”
Tyrone were surprisingly beaten a few weeks ago but Crawford isn’t reading too much into that.
“Tyrone lost their first game against Armagh and then they beat Cavan last week.
“It was the same last year with Tyrone when they got a bad start.
“Cavan beat them last year and they didn’t lose a game after that.
“We’re expecting them to be strong again this week especially over in Red Hughs.
“I know Joe Leonard and I know his sons and they will rally the troops for Donegal. There’s always a wee bit of rivalry there no matter what age group it is.”
Donegal will face Sligo, Roscommon, and Monaghan during the group phase and a win this Saturday will leave them well set up.
Crawford and his team have struggled against Tyrone but the bainisteoir expects them to bring a stacked team over the border.
“They have been the monkey on our back 100%.
“They have great players. You have Mark Donnelly who is a former county player and he absolutely destroyed us in the final last year.
“You have Stevie O’Neill, Conor Gormley and Marty McGrath who are all former All Stars, and you have big Michael Anderson from Aghyaran.
“They are strong the whole way through. If they get their full team on the pitch, it would be hard for anyone in the country to stop them. “They’re five in-a-row champions for a reason but I believe in our boys.
“We have no great stars but we play as a team and we work hard in training.
“We will set up as best we can and see what way it goes.”