BY RYAN FERRY

THERE have been a few changes to the Gaoth Dobhair reserve team since last year but they remain in a strong position to retain their crown.

Neil and Peter McGee have played senior football this season as has Eamonn Mac Giolla Bhride so that takes away a lot of size and power.

However, Danny Curran and Eamon McGee are still going strong while Sean Ó Baoill provides experience at centre half-forward.

Johnnie Mac Giolla Bhride, Cronan McFadden and Colm Ó Dochartaigh bring plenty of pace and quality in attack.

Ó Baoill says the form has been going ok but did get a bit of a reality check at the start of September.

“We had decent enough group games – we won three, lost one.

“The one we lost (against MacCumhaills) was a bit of a dead rubber, it opened our eyes a wee bit and we had a tough quarter-final then against a good Termon team, they won intermediate B last year and we just about got over them, there was only a kick of a ball in it.

“It was the same then with Dungloe in the semi-final, we just about got over them as well, so we had a few tough games there over the last couple of weeks.”

Gaoth Dobhair won back-to-back Under 21 titles in the 2022 and 2023 seasons but players have to earn their place in the senior side.

That can take time but a strong reserve side can help bridge the gap.

Ó Baoill said: “We’ve had a lot of success there at minors and at 20s level this past couple of years, I suppose that’s coming through now at reserve level and at senior level.

“The majority of the (reserve) team will be late teens/early twenties and then there’s a few older heads like myself knocking about still, but it’s a lovely mix.”

Gaoth Dobhair had a third team this year and their numbers remain high even though they have been hit hard by emigration.

“It’s great to have so many numbers at training and everyman is pushing for a jersey whether it be at reserve level or at senior level and it adds a great quality to training.

“It increases the seniors’ chances because the reserves are pushing really hard and it works again for the reserves because the seniors are pushing really hard

“The parish is going green and white, and hopefully we’ll get great numbers out to the reserve and the senior games.”

Gaoth Dobhair hammered Naomh Conaill by 4-18 to 0-7 in the league at the end of May but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then.

Ó Baoill has been keeping tabs on Naomh Conaill and was impressed with their semi-final performance when they beat Ardara after extra-time.

“You only need to look at the team sheet, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a teamsheet so big, there was 36/37 names on it.

“You look even at their bench, Eoin Waide, Daragh Gallagher, the Thompsons are knocking around there, Aaron and Leon, they’re all senior county champions, been there done that and then obviously the fifteen they played, there’s a lot of youth in the team as well, boys who played senior throughout the league and maybe just missed out on Championship squads.

He added: “There’s a lot of quality in there, we know we’re going to have to be at our top to get over them.”