BY RYAN FERRY
After a false start last week, the Donegal senior footballers will begin their campaign on Sunday against Antrim at Cargin GAA club grounds in Toomebridge (throw-in, 1.30pm).
It’s a first meeting with the Saffrons since the McKenna Cup in 2022.
On that occasion Donegal got the better of Antrim by 0-15 to 1-9 at Portglenone with Patrick McBrearty scoring seven points.
McBrearty has now retired but Donegal did name a strong side for their match with Derry last Sunday.
That fixture will now not take place with each side granted one point from the game.
Antrim lost to Derry by 2-16 to 0-7 at Owenbeg on Wednesday, and Donegal will know what they need to do at Cargin to top the group and advance to the semi-finals of the pre-season competition next Wednesday night.
Jim McGuinness is back at the helm of Donegal for a third season and it was striking that he named so many seasoned campaigners for the Derry match.
Nine members of the team – Caolan McColgan, Brendan McCole, Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan, Michael Langan, Ciaran Moore, Conor O’Donnell and Shane O’Donnell – that started in the 2025 All-Ireland Final were named to begin the game, while Young Footballer of the Year Finnbarr Roarty was among the subs.
Daire Ó Baoill, Hugh McFadden, and Jason McGee all came on in the decider against Kerry back in July and were due to start on Sunday.
Shaun Patton, Oisin Gallen, and Michael Murphy all had surgery last season and it would be a surprise if they play in the McKenna Cup.
Eoghan ‘Ban’ Gallagher, Eoin McHugh, Mark Curran, and Jamie Brennan weren’t named last week but are expected to be involved in 2026 and it will be interesting to see if any of those feature in Cargin.
The McKenna Cup provides a good opportunity to blood new players and experiment and there will be debuts handed out against the Saffrons.
The opening Division 1 League fixture with Dublin at Croke Park on January 24 looms large and Donegal will want to be in good shape for that match.
Antrim are now under the management of Mark Doran who has replaced Andy McEntee at the helm.
Doran hails from Down and has previously worked with the Wicklow, Clare and Roscommon management teams, while he was in charge of Derry club Sleacht Néill last year.
Doran has been happy with how things have been going so far and has put together a decent management team.
Michael McCann is someone he instantly contacted to come on board as selector and coach.
Former Derry ‘keeper Barry Gillis is in as goalkeeping coach with Sleacht Néill’s Paul Bradley, who Doran had with him at Emmet Park last season, is also on the coaching ticket.
Eamonn McCann will look after the conditioning having also worked with Errigal Ciaran.
Antrim are back in Division 4 and getting promoted back to the third tier will be a priority.
They are looking to hit the ground running in January and Tomas McCann, John McNabb, John Carron, Paddy McAleer, Pat Shivers, Conor Small and Kevin Small have all been added to the panel.
Doran’s men will be keen to put on a good show on home turf and just like four years ago, they won’t be easy to put away.
However, Donegal have been working hard at training in Convoy and it would be a surprise if they don’t claim the spoils on Sunday.
