IT has been eleven years since Naomh Muire last contested an Intermediate Championship semi-final and the Lower Rosses men are hoping their season doesn’t come to an end today.
Danny O’Donnell was at the helm when Naomh Muire lifted the Cathal McLaughlin Cup in 2013.
He is now in the third year of his second stint, and they claimed their biggest championship scalp in a few years when they upset the odds against Milford last week, and that has created a real buzz around the parish.
“The last time we were in a semi-final was 2013. Now we did play senior up until 2017 but this is our first time back.
“It’s an exciting time for the players. With the journey we have been on this year, we didn’t set any massive targets come championship time.
“The Gaeltacht initially was a nice chance for us to do something down in Cork which we did.
“We had a good league campaign finishing in the top six.
“In the Championship, we wanted to get through to the quarter-final because we didn’t get there last year, and in previous years, we weren’t able to get past it.
“We really felt we had to make some sort of statement against Milford.
“We went into that game as underdogs obviously but we put in a big performance in tough conditions for both teams.
“Our lads managed the conditions really well and showed a lot of battling qualities which we were very happy with.”
Naomh Muire have already clinched the Donegal and All-Ireland Gaeltacht titles this season and that has given them a real flavour of knock-out football which few other teams can match.
“You’re just looking to build confidence.
“The team two or three years ago were very low on confidence.
“We weren’t in a great place and we have been trying to rebuild things since.
“Any time you pick up any sort of success whether it be county Gaeltacht or All-Ireland Gaeltacht, it’s still success and there are trophies, and that just breeds confidence.
“That Milford match was our 25th game of the year so we have a lot of football played, and it’s the same group of players.
“We have a core of 19 or 20 players that are being used most of the time.
“You try and go out every day and put the best foot forward and see where it takes you, and it has us in the semi-final.
“But when that draw was being made, the other three teams would have been looking to play us.
“We were eighth favourites going into the quarter-final and we will be fourth favourites in the semi-finals but we’re probably a dangerous team at the same time.”
Naomh Muire will be underdogs again on Saturday when they take on Termon.
The Burn Road side have fallen at the semi-final stage in each of the last two years so that brings some pressure, but O’Donnell says there is a lot on the line for all teams at this time of the season.
“There’s pressure on everybody.
“Termon have been knocking on the door over the last couple of years and have come up short.
“Malin are probably under pressure to get back to a final and that was a big win for them against Buncrana and then Naomh Columba were in a final two years ago.
“All these teams have been in semi-finals and finals whereas we haven’t so it’s new ground for us.
“I’m sure they will be two big semi-finals and they are all about winning and trying to get that big day out in the final.
“I’m sure Termon will be really focusing on us this week and we will do the same on them, and it will be a similar story for Malin and Naomh Columba.
“It’s just about getting that performance on the day.”
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