THOUSANDS turned out at The Diamond in Donegal town on Sunday night to welcome home the victorious Donegal footballers who beat Derry to end a nineteen-year wait for an Ulster title.
A penalty from team captain Michael Murphy early in the second-half helped give Donegal a 1-11 to 0-08 win over Derry to land their sixth Anglo Celt Cup, a first for the county since 1992.
Throngs of jubilant Donegal fans swamped the pitch at St Tiernach’s Park as proud captain Murphy was presented with the Cup.
“We’re delighted that we were able to hang in there and deliver for the people of Donegal,” Murphy said.
“We’re over the moon. I’m ecstatic. It’s been well documented that it’s been 19 years since
we won one. A lot of these players have had a lot of hurt in the past,
but today isn’t a day for dwelling on that.
“It’s just great to be on the right side of it.”
In guiding the class of 2011 to glory, Jim McGuinness became only the second Donegal manager to win a provincial title, with Brian McEniff in charge of the previous five. The Glenties man has delivered in his first year at the helm.
“It’s a phenomenal feeling to be part of this group and to have bridged the 19-year gap,” said a delighted McGuinness.
“I’m very happy to be associated with this team. They’re a team that wants to play and train hard. They’ve put in a lot of sacrifices and I’m enjoying working with them.”
Euphoric scenes greeted the arrival of the new Ulster Champions as they brought the title back into Donegal town on Sunday night, thousands of delighted fans painting the town green and gold as they partied well into the small hours.
The videos show the return of the victorious team to Donegal town, produced by Brendan O’Donnell of Jacksons Media
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