By Patrick Sharkey,
The warm-up game to the Donegal senior hurling championship final will be at
2pm on Saturday in O'Donnell park in Letterkenny as Carn and Seán MacCumhails
go head-to-head.
Current Donegal hurler Gavin Browne has called on the GAA to push the club
season back out to autumn.
Donegal star Gavin Browne who produced one of the greatest ever performances
by a losing player in a Nicky Rackard Cup semi-final has spoken for the first
time since the forgotten county suffered their heart-breaking loss to Tyrone. However,
that has not changed the focus.
MacCumhails have flourished this year. Mr. Browne ahead of representing Seán
MacCumhails on Saturday said: "I think it will be a tight game, but I have
great faith in our lads if we turn up with right attitude on the day, we will
be hard to beat! But Carn isn't going be an easy game and in a one-off game anything
can happen." There is hard evidence to prove both teams are not going to
slip. This is the result of diligent volunteers with the people running these
clubs seeing their hard working coming to fruition. Both clubs have done very
well with their underage structure. All attention will be on the big businesses.
Donegal GAA have confirmed yesterday that tickets are on sale for the game.
However Gavin insisted the road to this stage wasn't clear cut as he claims:
"Yeah unfortunately we are in a transition stage at the minute with older
lads taking step back and waiting for younger lads to commit! Yes, senior
championship is where we want to be, but we must build to that!"
The defender added: "Hopefully won't be long." It has been a fun year
for Donegal GAA.
Donegal won the Nicky Rackard Cup in 2020 under Browne's guidance, which
would have promoted them to the Cristy Ring Cup for year, yet Donegal is
wondering what could have been if it was not a short season due to Covid. The
Stranorlar man however is looking for promotion this weekend saying: " I
couldn't be giving away anything but there are men in our team that are up
there with the best if they come prepared and right attitude so hopefully
Saturday is the day for us." Seán MacCumhaills defeated Dungloe in the semi-final.
This weekend. Seán MacCumhaills would need to replicate an outpouring of the
heart and determination they show against Dungloe to stand a chance against Carn.
Richie Ryan was Donegal's top-scorer during their unsuccessful match against Tyrone
for the Nicky Rackard cup semi-final on May 14. Donegal lost to Tyrone 1-23 to 1-19
in Páirc Colmcille on Saturday, July 14 but Seán MacCumhaills done Carn a
favour by knocking out Dungloe which featured Ryan.
Seán MacCumhaills take over and will be the East Donegal representative on
Saturday.
It comes down to how big of an impact the split season has had for Seán MacCumhaills.
This weekend will see the commencement of the Grand Canal Hotel County
Senior & Intermediate Hurling Championships. Gavin Browne has not been a
fan of this season saying: "The club scene this season been very rushed. It does
not give lads time if they pull anything or pick up any injuries!"
Mr.Browne has made an impassioned plea on what Carn players his team should
keep an eye on. Browne said: "To be honest Carn have 3 danger men in Luke white
and the two Doherty brothers, but they have fit hurlers around that will be
well up for it so as far as we are concerned, they have 15 danger men. It is in
our hands to preform just." Speculation has begun on the match ups. For Carn it
would be a case of putting the fastest forward on Gavin.
Pádraig Doherty was delighted, two weekends ago after a win involving a Carn
GAA side.
The intermediate final beckons and Mr.Doherty says: "We have every
chance however we need to perform to give us that chance. If we perform to our ability,
we will have an opportunity to win however sometimes that does not always
happen in finals. If we don't perform the game could be over very
quickly." His native of Carn came out victorious in the showpiece of the
GAA calendar, getting to their second final in the last four years in style.
They have a more strings to their bow and do more work than promote and
support football and hurling. The primary school teacher believes the intermediate championship has been of benefit to them saying: "There's an enormous difference between the top teams and the bottom teams in Donegalhowever teams like ourselves need to be playing against them to improve."
Pádraig Doherty added: "Having the three levels of junior, inter and senior allows for there to be a clear pathway and something for everyone to aim for at the start of the year." The
Donegal senior hurling manager's position may well need to get clarity before
too long. However, all the talk about Donegal hurling has been about club games.
One of the consequences of the split season is it has gifted the GAA a
summer special jobs fair. Mr. Doherty did not mention anything about that and
said: "The aim at the start of every season is to improve. Progress this
year is getting to an intermediate final. Every game you play you want to win,
and it is the same this week. If your performances allow you to win games that
have a trophy at the end of it, brilliant." Carn will hope that if they
fail to win on Saturday, they will not have a demise. Those on the GAA media
beat have bemoaned this season as the worst yet for access to players during
the championship. The Donegal hurling championship has been an exception with
no signs of celebrity culture. Whoever wins it on Saturday will be sure to gain
their medals with an entertaining victory. This game will also be a huge chance
for Carn. What once captured the minds of the GAA public and the laptops of journalists
in late autumn and early winter is now filling the space where Championship
coverage used to be. Departing inter-county managers appear determined to put
on a show.
Carn have star power to give them a safe return to the senior championship.
Pádraig has named out players to keep an eye on saying: "You're probably
saying Luke White at present. He has played at that higher level growing up.
Like James, Cormac, and Danny Monagle are all skilful players too. Cathal Doherty
and Cian Doherty all well able to hurl to a high standard as well". No doubt
these players will make the plea to put Carn on the map again.
The national schoolteacher is not a happy man when he comes up against the
top stars of the opposing team. The former Burt hurler, when asked about the best
player Seán MacCumhails, he said: "Gavin Browne. Lee Henderson will punish us
from frees as well if we give them any opportunities and Jamie De Ward will
punish any mistakes we make in defence."
This will bring down the curtain on the latest stage of the evolution of
Donegal hurling. Standing in the way of Carn, is a side from the hurling
heartlands of East Donegal who have fielded hurling temes on a more consistent
basis over the last 20 years. Carn have a rich history.
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