How five teams hit back from final defeats to win Donegal Championships in 2022

It was the former NBA coach Pat Riley who coined the notion that “it’s what you get from games you lose that is extremely important.”

Riley won five NBA titles, four with the Los Anglees Lakers in the 1980s and the other with Miami Heat in 2006. With the unique distinction of being the only American sportsperson to win championships as a player, assistant coach, head coach and, now, as an executive.

Riley’s words have certainly rang true in Donegal in 2022.

Five adult teams who lost finals in 2021 have returned to win those titles: SFC winners Naomh Conaill; Dungloe, who won the IFC title; Letterkenny Gaels, who landed the JFC crown at the weekend; the ladies SFC was won back by Termon; and Setanta regained hold of the senior hurling prize.

‘We were disrespected’ - Leo McLoone hits back at Naomh Conaill critics

Leo McLoone says that feelings of being 'written off' and 'disrespected' fuelled their fire to come back and win another Donegal SFC crown on Saturday

This weekend, Naomh Conaill and Letterkenny Gaels made up for their 2021 defeats.

In Glenties, a ten-point defeat by St Eunan’s in last year’s final, when the scored only four points, stung hard. So, too, did the winter suggestions that their time at the top was at an end.

“We suffered a lot over the winter last year,” Martin Regan said after taking Naomh Conaill to glory on Saturday following a 1-9 to 2-5 victory over St Eunan’s.

“We worked hard over the last 12 weeks coming into the Championship and we got our just rewards.”

Regan hailed his side’s defence and discipline in the tense closing stages.

He said: “They performed it to a tee. We knew where St Eunan’s had got scores from in the last couple of years and we felt if we shut dow those avenues, they would struggle.”

In an O’Donnell Park dressing room on Sunday, Paul Melaugh and Dougie Corbett told their Letterkenny Gaels team they were in danger of being billed as ‘chokers’.

The Gaels lost finals in 2019 and 2021 and trailed Carndonagh 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time. A stern appraisal at the interval was followed by a second-half turnaround, the Glebe side winning 0-12 to 0-10.

“Favourites isn’t an easy tag to wear,” Melaugh said.

“We had a few choice words at half-time. A lot of the boys have been here before. We told them: ‘You can’t come to the well again and go back empty. If you don’t come and turn this game around, people will use the word chokers and everything that goes with it.’

“We told them to go out and throw everything at it.”

Dungloe knew all about the losing pain, too.

Dungloe lost to Cloughaneely after a replay in the 2021 intermediate final. Back they came this year. In the early weeks of 2022, manager Dessie Gallagher told how the Rosses men made it their mission to make up for the one that got away.

They did just that earlier this month when, aided by a Darren Curran goal, they overcame Naomh Columba 1-8 to 0-4 to clinch the Cathal McLaughlin Cup.

Hurt and the hunger combined to tee up the win.

“After last year, they knuckled down and put in a big winter,” Gallagher said.

“They just said they weren’t going to lose another one. They got there and they were just brilliant in that final.

“Last year, we rushed everything. We’re more mature now.”

Setanta were stunned by St Eunan’s in the 2021 senior hurling final, the black and amber ending the Crossroads men’s bid for a three-in-a-row.

Setanta returned with a vengeance this year and Davin Flynn’s goal in extra time proved the big score in a 1-20 to 0-18 win over Burt.

“We’re delighted to get over the line, especially after last year,” midfielder Danny Cullen said after the final.

“To lose two in a row would have been hard to stomach. It was a big year for us. This year was more important than ever and we’re over the moon with it.”

Termon felt the pangs of regret when falling to Glenfin in the senior ladies final a year ago; aggrieved, too, after a controversial loss.

The margins were typically wafer-thin when the old rivals crossed paths and swords again in early October. It took penalties, but Termon left with the silverware.

“We remembered last year when we crumbled a bit in extra-time,” Roisin McCafferty said after the win. “We just wanted to go for it.” The girls showed great character and you could see that.

“They’ll be hurting - it was us last year - and they were going for three-in-a-row and they’ll be back next year, no doubt about it.”