Donegal pitted against Monaghan and Down in Dr McKenna Cup

Donegal have been pitted against Monaghan and Down in Section A of the 2023 Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup.

New boss Paddy Carr will be up against fellow debutant bosses in the form of Vinny Corey at the Farney County and Conor Laverty, who has stepped up to the plate at senior level with the Mourne men. 

Monaghan, of course, defeated Donegal in last year's final. Groups winners will automatically qualify for the semi-finals plus the best runner up over the three sections.

January 4, 8 and 11 are the dates that have been selected for the group stages with the semi-finals marked down for the weekend of January 14/15. Specific times and dates for all group games and the final will be released by the Ulster Council in the coming days. 

Speaking at the launch, Donegal midfielder Caolan McGonagle said: "Under new management, it's a clean slate and there is real energy there. We've young players coming into the mix that are really keen to impress. Paddy Carr, Aidan O'Rourke and Paddy Bradley have all been around the block and bring a nice blend to matters. We're excited to get started."  

Tickets for the competition are now available on the Ulster Council website.  

The draw in full is as follows: 

Section A
Monaghan 
Down 
Donegal 

Section B 
Tyrone 
Fermanagh
Derry  

Section C
Armagh 
Cavan 
Antrim