'Everywhere in Donegal we went, we saw these green and gold flags'

Although they freely admit to having no allegiance to either team, five American tourists found themselves in Letterkenny for the Donegal IFC final last weekend. 

Karen McDonald, Janice Petzold, Donna Carlo, Jane O’Connell and Lynn Murphy are friends from in and around Reston, a principal city of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. There, they play pickleball - a racket or paddle sport in which two players or four players compete using a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a 34-inch-high net until a point is scored. 

At O’Donnell Park, Termon overcame Naomh Columba on a 0-14 to 0-8 scoreline in the autumnal sunshine to win the Intermediate A Championship, adding to the Intermediate B crown their second-string had won earlier in the day against Burt. 

They didn’t know it then, but having taken in hikes at Glenveagh and Slieve League, the group had spent time at perhaps the most photographed parts of the two competing clubs’ parishes before the Intermediate A decider. Whilst in Donegal, the group had been staying at the Gap Lodge in Barnesmore, having made their way to the north-west from Kerry. 

“We’ve been in Dingle three days, three in Donegal and then we’re going onto Derry,” Janice said. “We wanted to see family Iave in Derry. We’re not sure who yet but we’re going to know exactly where once we get there!

“Everywhere in Donegal we went, we saw these green and gold flags and heard it had to do with Gaelic football, so we were looking for something to do and wondered if there was any football on in Donegal this week. We googled a bit and then saw these games were on so we decided we must check it out.”

They soaked up the explainers afterwards on the difference between a goal and a point; just why players play for their local team and the progress of the county team. They learned of the experimental rules that will be trialled with four points for a goal and two for a long-range score and like many others closer to home the complexities of the tackle to win back possession.

“How old is this game?,” Donna queries, before learning the formation of the GAA was in 1884, and that Donegal has 40 clubs that accommodate young boys and girls up to adult level in a variety of codes. This coming Sunday, many miles from O’Donnell Park whilst back at home in the States, they might even tune in to see if Dungloe can win a first senior title since 1958, or if St Eunan’s can lift a record 16th crown. 

“We were trying to figure out the rules but were greatly helped by a little girl in front who was selling match programmes, Donna added. “There was even a little scuffle at one stage but the game was enjoyable. 

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“We’re going to Derry, where we’ll see some of Jance’s family,” Karen added. “We heard the people there are very friendly but we’ve found that in Ireland everywhere."

“It was the same in Kerry and then here in Donegal,” Lynn, the designated driver, said. “We were at the Ring of Kerry and then were telling people that our next stop was Donegal and they were telling us ‘that’s five hours away.’ For us from the States, that’s not considered a long drive and we’ve enjoyed our time in Donegal and in Ireland as a whole.”