Donegal's young guns get 2026 off to a winning Dr McKenna Cup start against Antrim

Donegal young-guns mucked in to produce an 11-point win over Antrim and seal a Dr McKenna Cup semi-final place on Wednesday.

The fresh-faced side managed by Jim McGuinness ended up in second place in Section C of the Ulster curtain-raiser, which was enough to seal progression to the last four thanks to having the best of the runners-up spots.

Monaghan, Derry and Tyrone complete the quartet, following a complicated start to the new year with postponements and then fixtures being declared null and void with Fermanagh, Armagh and Cavan having fielded Sigerson Cup players.

The Donegal debuts were starters Ultan Doherty, Kieran Gallagher, Max Campbell and Shea Malone from Naomh Conaill, Paul O'Hare of Naomh Columba and Four Masters duo Turlough Carr and Cono,r McCahill, with more coming from the bench in the form of another Donegal Town native, Kevin Muldoon, Cormac Gallagher from Termon and St Eunan’s Eoin McGeehin.

READ NEXT: Live updates: Donegal take on Antrim in Dr McKenna Cup opener

From the newbies, Malone, who helped put the blue and white ribbons on the Dr Maguire Cup before its winter in Glenties, will certainly be content with four points, while McGeehin netted the game’s only goal within five minutes of coming in.

Seanán Carr, who appeared in the Dr McKenna Cup in 2024, scored 0-3, including a classy two-pointer to complete the scoring.

Donegal and Derry ended up shaking on a point apiece and Ciarán Meenagh Oak Leafers were 2-16 to 0-7 winners against Antrim in Owenbeg on Wednesday, with their margin five more than Donegal’s and enough to win the group.

This came following last week’s postponement against Derry at O’Donnell Park due to the sub-zero temperatures, it was more a spluttery occasion in the surroundings of Erin’s Own GAC Cargin.

It’s six months since Donegal lost 1-26 to 0-19 to Kerry in the All-Ireland final but Croke Park felt like a different universe away in the wretched weather where the substitutes were easy to spot for a while as their jerseys were the cleanest and for spectators, umbrellas were a necessity.

Only Caolan McColgan and Ciaran Moore were in from the off when compared with Donegal’s last outing. McGuinness can use the remainder of the Dr McKenna Cup and Division 1 of the National Football League to bolster his panel before Down visit Letterkenny in Ulster in April.

Gavin Mulreany opened Donegal’s account for 2026 with a two-pointer from a free before Oisin Caulfield neatly tucked over for a 0-3 to 0-0 lead on 10 minutes.

Donegal kicked four early wides and would amass 10 in all, although McGuinness would’ve been mindful it was almost impossible on occasion in the rain and wind, which served neither side very well.

Antrim didn’t manage to score after the break on Wednesday in Derry and it took them 18 minutes to register on home turf, with Pat Shivers the scorer. This was soon added to by the same player with a free, although the hosts had goalkeeper John McNabb to thank for making a useful save from Mark Curran on 21 minutes, who lashed the shot from the ground.

Donegal ironed out the creases of an awkward middle third to the half, producing commendable sprinklings of cohesion before the break, with Malone, Jason McGee, Turlough Carr and Conor McCahill making for a 0-7 to 0-3 interval scoreline.

Ryan McQuillan had put over Antrim’s last point of the first half and followed that up with the first of the second before Hugh McFadden’s two in succession meant Donegal led 0-9 to 0-4. Paddy McBride neatly scored for Antrim at the other end.

With both McGuinness and his opposite number Mark Doran emptying the bench, many of those replaced opted to head straight for the showers instead of sitting about.

Nine minutes from time, McGeehin tucked home from close range after Antrim’s replacement goalkeeper Delan Heery had saved from Gallagher. Muldoon then pierced a point for Donegal to go 1-11 to 0-5 in front.

Seanán Carr and Malone helped Donegal take it home and although the long-serving Patrick McBrearty mightn’t be available following his retirement from inter-county football, some of the youthful contemporaries did themselves no harm at all. They’ll get another chance on Wednesday.

Antrim scorers: Pat Shivers 0-3, 2f; Ryan McQuillan 0-2; Paddy McBride and Sean O’Neill 0-1.
Donegal scorers: Shea Malone 0-4, Eoin McGeehin 1-0; Seanán Carr 0-3, tpf, 1f; Gavin Mulreany 0-2, tpf; Hugh McFadden 0-2; 1f; Oisin Caulfield, Jason McGee, Conor McCahill and Kevin Muldoon 0-1.

Antrim: John McNabb; Kavan Keenan, Kevin McCann, Eoghan McCabe; Ruairi Hagan, Joseph Finnegan, Marc Jordan; John Carron, Kevin Small; Patrick McBride, Conor Small, Paul Bradley; Pat Shivers, Ryan McQuillan, Oisin Doherty. Subs: Ronan Quinn and Cathal Hynds for Hagan Bradley (half-time), Sean O’Neill for McBride (38), Declan Heery, James McAuley, Tom Shiver and Gerard O’Neill for McNabb, McCann, McQuillan and Keenan (50).

Donegal: Gavin Mulreany; Mark Curran, Caolan McColgan, Ultan Doherty; Paul O'Hare, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride, Max Campbell; Jason McGee, Hugh McFadden; Ciaran Moore, Turlough Carr, Oisín Caulfield; Conor McCahill, Kieran Gallagher, Shea Malone. Subs: Finnbarr Roarty, Kevin Muldoon, Daire Ó Baoill and Peadar Mogan for McColgan, Moore and Caulfield (half-time); Cormac Gallagher and Seanán Carr for McFadden and T Carr (42), Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan and Eoin McGeehin for Curran, O’Hare and McGee (45).
Referee: Barry McMenamin (Cavan)