BY MATTHEW WILSON
DONEGAL senior hurling captain Conor Gartland is hoping that they can carry their momentum forward into this Saturday’s meeting with Armagh in Letterkenny.
The Donegal senior hurling side suffered relegation from Division 2 of the National Hurling League last term but they’ve started brightly in their bid to regain their position in the second tier.
They commenced their campaign with two strong wins over two fellow Ulster outfits in the form of Tyrone and Fermanagh.
They displayed the quality that the side possesses in the two league outings to date and Gartland is pleased with how they have gone about their business.
“We’re definitely pleased, you couldn’t have hoped for any better of a start than getting two good wins. They were very different wins which shows different sides to our performances.
“We knew what we were getting into with Tyrone, it was going to be a 50:50 dogfight. We knew that we’ve been hurling at a few levels above Fermanagh for the last few years but that’s just a banana skin waiting for you.
“Fermanagh always bring a good level of intensity and I think we showed that we have been hurling at a higher level against them. It’s also good to get a win over Tyrone so we’re pleased.”
The Conor McGurk Cup returned to the 2026 hurling calendar, which Donegal had won on the two previous occasions in 2025 and 2024.
However, their bid for three in-a-row proved unsuccessful as heartbreak struck in the competition’s showpiece against Derry.
Mickey McCann’s charges led this decider heading down the home stretch however, a last-gasp goal from the Oak Leaf County saw them seal a narrow one-point win and lift the pre-season silverware.
The Burt native expressed that they brought the hurt of this final defeat into the league campaign to act as a fuel and the manner of their two victories so far show that they’ve learned from this bitter occasion.
“We definitely did. I know they say they’re pre-season competitions but we’re all competitors, I’m as competitive as they come. You never like to lose a game, especially when you can lift a bit of silverware.
“We felt that we played well that day and we probably were the better of the two teams, I think some of us felt that. That last minute goal was a kick in the teeth.
“In that game we were ahead after 45 minutes and we weren’t able to push on. In the last two weeks, the last twenty minutes against Tyrone was our best spell and against Fermanagh we never took the foot off the throat which is good signs that we learned something from that Derry game as well as carried hurt.”
Speaking to the Donegal News, the Burt hurler praised the contributions of some of the younger individuals that are playing their part for the side including John Kealy, Donal Farrelly and Peter Kelly.
Gartland talks so highly about the youthful players that are stepping up to the plate that it’s easy to forget how young the Burt hurler is himself.
The 22-year-old was named captain of the Donegal senior hurling side back in 2024, setting a new record for the youngest captain of a Donegal senior team at the age of 20.
Being part of the group for the last five years, he appears to be a youthful head on experienced shoulders and has great leadership skills which is why he’s continued to lead the side.
Gartland expressed that continuing the role of captaincy is a privilege and an honour but stated that it’s brilliant to see the group performing excellently as well.
“It’s a strange feeling because I know I’m still young but I feel I’ve been around the panel for that long. It’s nearly strange the way I talk about the younger players coming in when I’m only 22 myself.
“I’ve been training since I was 17 and I’ve been playing since I was legal. It’s great to see, whenever you’re up in the team it’s hard to get a proper gauge around how the underage teams are doing because you’re that busy yourself.
“It’s lovely to get the captaincy again this year. It’s what every young lad wants to do but it’s just great to see the team doing well and seeing those young lads stepping in.”
Following a fortnight away from competitive action, Mickey McCann’s men return to the field this Saturday for a meeting with another Ulster side in the form of Armagh at O’Donnell Park.
The Orchard County are yet to register a point from their first two outings but Gartland is aware of some of the threats that they possess and he’s hoping his side can get over the line when they face-off.
“I’m looking forward to it. Armagh are a bit like Fermanagh, they always bring a level of intent and they won’t be coming to Donegal to roll over to us.
“I’ve been reading a few reports about them and they seem to have a few young lads that are making strides. The big thing now for us is to just focus on ourselves and make sure we get over the line this weekend.
“It’s quite an important one for us if we’re looking at promotion. If we can get over Armagh and Louth then we’ll hopefully just have to beat Wicklow and Roscommon. We’re just taking it one game at a time and trying to pick up points as well as we can.”
