AFTER a busy Donegal SFC campaign, Ryan Ferry picks his Team of the Championship
1. Stephen McGrath
(Naomh Conaill)
It was another strong championship campaign for Stephen McGrath who kept three clean sheets. He also made a number of vital saves, including a brilliant stop from Niall O’Donnell at a crucial juncture in the final. McGrath hasn’t missed a championship minute since making his debut in 2006.
2. Mark Curran
(Dungloe)
Curran is so reliable for Dungloe and did some fine marking jobs on Paddy McElwee (Downings) and Shane O’Donnell (St Eunan’s) in particular over the course of the championship. He also was keen to get on the ball and set up a crucial goal against Termon with a driving run out of defence.
3. Gary McFadden
(Gaoth Dobhair)
McFadden always gets the tough man-marking jobs for Gaoth Dobhair but rarely allows his standards drop. He was solid during the group stages as his club went straight through to the last eight and held his own against Oisin Gallen in the quarter-final, while he took up Eoin McGeehin and then Niall O’Donnell in the semi-final.
4. Josh Hay
(St Eunan’s)
Hay was a real break-out star for St Eunan’s in this year’s championship and had a very solid campaign. He fared well on Dungloe’s Barry Curran in the quarter-final, while he made a couple of vital blocks against Gaoth Dobhair. The corner-back then picked up John O’Malley in the decider and battled diligently.
5. Oran Winston
(St Eunan’s)
Winston has established himself as a regular over the last two years and he delivered a string of fine performances for his club. He’s well able to handle the physical aspects of the game, while he is also a reliable shooter and a regular contributor to the scoreboard.
6. Sean Martin
(Sean MacCumhaills)
Martin is a classy operator who looks to have pushed his game to another level. He was excellent in the draw with St Eunan’s, while he was one of the best players on show in two games against Gaoth Dobhair, and he had solid displays against Glenswilly and Downings.
7. Odhran Doherty
(Naomh Conaill)
Quite often players are not at their best after spending the summer in America but that couldn’t be true of Doherty. He was a real driving force for Naomh Conaill after his return from Philadelphia and was particularly influential in the games against Termon, Kilcar (in Towney) and Glenswilly.
8. Kealan Dunleavy
(Glenswilly)
Dunleavy isn’t overly tall but he has a superb leap and competes brilliantly in the aerial exchanges. He was captain for Glenswilly in 2026 and took on a leadership role. Dunleavy was their main man in midfield while also scoring regularly, and he appears to be a player who can shine at a higher level.
9. Eoin Dowling
(St Eunan’s)
Dowling was outstanding in this year’s championship and brought real presence to the St Eunan’s team in midfield where his fielding was exemplary. He also has a nice left foot and is accurate in front of the posts, while he delivered a huge performance in the decider against Naomh Conaill.
10. Ciaran Moore
(St Eunan’s)
Moore was carrying an injury during the championship but when the pressure was on, he delivered in spades for his club. He scored a vital goal against Gaoth Dobhair in the semi-final and was the MVP in the County Final where he produced a memorable winning point.
11. Ryan McHugh
(Kilcar)
Kilcar were without some seasoned campaigners during the championship but they still impressed with McHugh magnificent at centre half-forward. He was man-of-the-match in three games against Ardara, Four Masters and Naomh Columba and was to the fore in the other matches as his quality stood out.
12. Shane O’Donnell
(St Eunan’s)
Like McHugh, Shane O’Donnell was deemed to be the best player on the field in three of his matches against Aodh Ruadh, Sean MacCumhaills and Gaoth Dobhair. His speed and ball-carrying ability is so hard to stop, while the county star also took on more shots in front of the posts in a fine championship campaign.
13. Eoin McGeehin
(St Eunan’s)
After years of the blanket defence, McGeehin has revelled in open space this season as St Eunan’s got the ball inside fast and early. McGeehin was excellent against Naomh Columba, St Michael’s and Dungloe, while he was a read handful in the first half of the County Final.
14. Michael Murphy
(Glenswilly)
Murphy may now be 37 but he remains the top performer in Donegal club football. The full-forward played in six games for his club and was man-of-the-match in four of them – against Termon twice, Downings and Naomh Conaill. He was influential in the other two matches as well and clubs had great trouble in dealing with him.
15. Shea Malone
(Naomh Conaill)
Malone was electrifying at times in this year’s championship, particularly against Termon and Kilcar (in Ballyshannon). He was well marked in the semi-final and final but still came into both games in the second half and landed vital scores for his club.