Kerry 0-16 Donegal 2-20
The sight of Kerry supporters streaming towards the exit at Fitzgerald Stadium with over 10 minutes to play isn’t a common theme in Killarney.
Besides their loss to Mayo three years ago under the shower of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, the Kingdom’s previous defeat at the stunning venue was way back when Cork turned them over in the 1995 Munster final.
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness during Saturday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Three victories over Jack O’Connor’s team for Donegal this season so far won’t erase the pain of Donegal’s 1-26 to 0-19 loss in last year’s All-Ireland final, but this, the third of them, was the most significant yet.
A 10-point winning margin was more than any Donegal fan might’ve hoped for or even dreamed of as they headed south.
Donegal’s Michael Langan gets a first half attack started during Saturday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
And following a marathon 2025, where it took 11 matches to, as it turned out, lose out on Sam Maguire, Jim McGuinness’ team are just one way away from an All-Ireland quarter-final.
When the stand was swept at O’Donnell Park that Sunday evening four weeks ago, following Donegal’s loss to Down in the Ulster SFC quarter-final, many thought the month off would stand to them. Now, there are three weeks off and if Donegal can win that, two more ahead of Croke Park.
As the hooter rang out for half-time in Killarney, David Clifford caught Caolan McGonagle late – not for the first time in the half – and a pretty serious altercation ensued.
Donegal’s Michael Murphy watches as his shot sails over the bar during Saturday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Eventually, both teams got cleared – with blood spilling down Ryan McHugh’s face and a home chant of ‘Kerry, Kerry, Kerry’ – and with the tea queues at half-time predicting that referee Sean Hurson’s first duty would be to distribute some cards.
Hurson spent much of the half speaking to his linemen and umpires on the pitch, with the scoreboard confirming that Donegal were 1-11 to 0-9 in front. It was joked that the officials would be better off going in to try and see the playback.
Donegal left Kerry waiting, and when they did return, the respective managers, Jack O’Connor and Jim McGuinness, were summoned and told to reduce the number of people on the sideline.
The Donegal boss asked if there was going to be something in the wake of the incident that had meant McHugh was about to be replaced by Shane O’Donnell.
Then, out came a yellow for Even Looney of Kerry and a red for Michael Burns, who bashed McHugh in the eye. That’s the punishment for now, with the videos and returns bound to be purred over for a few days at least.
From even before Hurston threw the ball into the air to begin with, men were, as it might be put, standing their ground. Donegal were caught cold in that sense in the All-Ireland final and never recovered from there.
Kerry, again, went at Donegal right from the start, with Gavin Mulreany doing well to keep the ball out of the net when smothering from Graham O’Sullivan after Diarmaid O’Connor’s early break. Barely 10 seconds had been played.
Donegal shook off what might’ve been a nightmare and immediately struck the first blow. Ciaran Moore and Oisin Gallen played a swift one-two through the hands and the St Eunan’s man, when faced with Shane Murphy, rounded the Kerry goalkeeper to slot into the empty net.
Oisin Gallen was on fire, kicking an early two-pointer as part of his five in all, looking dangerous each and every time in possession. Ryan McHugh also scored from outside of the arc, and Donegal were 1-4 to 0-1 in front after seven minutes.
Oisin Gallen lines up a shot during Saturday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Kerry might’ve been slow to start but soon spun over four in succession, with the Clifford brothers and O’Sullivan leading the charge. And from another break, Paudie Clifford got onto Michael Burns’ speedy run and cut inside, hopped inside and attempted to place his shot into the bottom corner. Eoghan Ban Gallagher did enough to deflect it just around the posts for a Kerry 45.
Tadhg Morley got into space and from close in fizzed a shot at goal, which Donegal were relieved to go just over the crossbar rather than under it.
Midway through the half, Donegal were 1-5 to 0-6 in front, although Kerry, playing against the slight breeze, had more of the ball.
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Jason McGee, Michael Langan, Gallen and Max Campbell had come in for Donegal before throw-in, with Caolan McColgan, Shane O’Donnell, Shea Malone and Sean Martin moving out.
The duel between the sizable frames of McGee and Mark O’Shea was going a long way toward deciding the long kick-out statistics. McColgan had done a fine job on David Clifford in Donegal’s 3-20 to 2-10 Division 1 final win over Kerry in March.
Brendan McCole, Donegal’s usual short-straw puller when it comes to the main making job, took up station on David Clifford, checking and checking and checking so as not to let him out of his sight.
Gallen and Moore, along with the stylish Langan, who also hit a two, enabled Donegal to keep ahead, although Dylan Geaney was impressing for Kerry.
Half-time brought the row and Donegal, having emerged to a crescendo of boos from the home support, being a man up following Burns’ dismissal certainly made up for facing into the wind.
When things eventually got going, Gallen picked up where he left off in the first half and Donegal, using possession wisely, managed to quieten Fitzgerald Stadium for spells, except for the home supporters’ insistence on heckling Murphy, following his non-dismissal in the league final.
The former Donegal skipper played a withdrawn role, hanging on the peripheries and switching it left, unpreturbed by his warm ears.
The breeze wasn’t so much a factor and for a second half that looked like it was going to be explosive, Donegal masterfully took the fizz out of it.
Donegal’s Finnbarr Roarty on the attack during Saturday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Langan and Peadar Mogan points pushed Donegal’s lead out to 1-14 to 0-9, playing with the head as much as their legs. Again, there were a few challenges that were on the late side, so much so that they’d not make it through the letterbox till Tuesday.
Fifteen minutes into part two, Kerry finally got a score, and it was a precise two-pointer from Tony Brosnan.
Again, though, the trend continued, with Donegal taking Kerry one way and then another. Shea Malone’s eye for goal was apparent when he was denied a first-ever championship goal as Murphy touched his stinging drive onto the post 13 minutes from time.
Donegal’s Shea Malone lines up a shot at goal during Saturday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
However, Malone would get his goal in the 55th minute, blasting in off the crossbar. Kerry’s 12 wides to the uber-economic Donegal’s two proved notable, although David Clifford did score a late peach.
A patched up Ryan McHugh during Saturday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
The highlight for many late on was the return of McHugh, who hadn’t appeared in the second half, coming back into the play with his head strapped and a new No30 jersey on, to see out the closing minutes.
Turlough Carr and Sean Martin also made championship debuts and all in all, Donegal can dare to dream. “Maybe it’s not that long a journey home,” some of their fans said.
Kerry scorers: David Clifford 0-4, tp; Tony Brosnan 0-4, 2tp; 1f; Dylan Geaney 0-3; Paudie Clifford, Michael Burns, Graham O’Sullivan, Tadhg Morley and Cillian Trant 0-1
Donegal scorers: Oisin Gallen 0-5, tp; Ciaran Moore and Shea Malone 1-1; Michael Langan 0-5, tp; Ryan McHugh 0-2, tp; Peadar Mogan, Max Campbell, Shane O’Donnell, Michael Murphy, Jason McGee and Finnbarr Roarty 0-1
Kerry: Shane Murphy; Evan Looney, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey; Tadhg Morley, Mike Breen, Graham O’Sullivan; Mark O’Shea, Diarmuid O’Connor; Micheál Burns, Kevin Evans, Sean O’Brien; Paudie Clifford, David Clifford, Dylan Geaney. Subs: Tony Brosnan for P Clifford (45), Brian Ó Beaglaoich for O’Sullivan (45), Joe O’Connor fr Evans (48); Killian Spillane for Geaney (56); Cillian Trant for O’Brien (59)
Donegal: Gavin Mulreany; Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Brendan McCole, Max Campbell; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Finnbarr Roarty; Hugh McFadden, Jason McGee; Ciarán Moore, Michael Langan, Peadar Mogan; Conor O’Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen. Subs: Shane O’Donnell for McHugh (half-time); Shea Malone for Gallen (56), Ryan McHugh for Roarty (59), Daire Ó Baoill for Murphy (60), Turlough Carr for McFadden (63), Sean Martin for Campbell (64)
Referee: Sean Hurson.
