TODAY’S senior final will spark memories of the brilliant trilogy between Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair in 2019.
It took three games to separate the sides on that occasion with John O’Malley striking a sensational winner on a Wednesday night under the lights.
A lot can happen in the space of four years and the Gaoth Dobhair team is now much different.
Dan McBride has retired while Christopher Sweeney, Odhrán McFadden-Ferry, Naoise Ó Baoill, Cian Mulligan, and Eamon Collum are living outside the country, while Michael Carroll has been injured for most of the season.
In contrast, the Naomh Conaill side is remarkably similar to how it looked back in 2019.
If we take the twenty players who were used in the third game, 19 of those have played club football this year. Kieran Gallagher is the odd man out while Eoghan McGettigan is now sidelined with a long-term injury.
It’s not an easy team to break into and Regan often turns to his seasoned campaigners who now are so used to the cut and thrust of big championship matches.
“No the team probably hasn’t changed that much and the way we have played hasn’t changed that much either,” said Regan, who is in his ninth season in charge.
“A lot of boys have been around a long time, and longer than four years.
“But there are different lads coming in all the time. Mark McDevitt and Keelan McGill wouldn’t have been playing in 2019, and Logan Quinn has been great for us when called upon this year.
“You have the two Roartys – Connor and Shean – pushing hard and we gave a lot of players minutes during the league.
“Maybe in the championship, it’s the tried and trusted players that are still knocking there or thereabouts.”
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