History

Donegal won their first Ulster championship in 1972. This was the year the county earned it’s first All Star in the form of Brian McEniff. A second provincial title followed in 1974. The county won a third provincial title in 1983, this was followed in 1987 by under-21 All Ireland success which provided the basis for the success of the 1990 Ulster Football Final win over Armagh. They would win the Ulster Final again in 1992. Donegal’s greatest footballing accomplishment to date came on September 20, 1992 when they won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, beating Dublin in the final 0-18 to 0-14.

Brian McEniff was serving in his second spell as Donegal manager in 1992 when he directed Donegal to the Sam Maguire cup. Man of the match Manus Boyle scored 0-9 (four from play), Gary Walsh had a great save from Vinny Murphy at the end. Donegal contested five successive Ulster finals (1989-1993). They then proceeded to contest the Natiional Football League final three times (1993 v Dublin, 1995 v Derry, 1996 v Derry) in a four year period without success

The squad on that day in 1992 was: G. Walsh, B. McGowan, M. Gallagher, N. Hegarty, D. Reid, M. Gavigan, J.J. Doherty, A. Molloy, B. Murray, J. McHugh, M. McHugh, J. McMullan, D. Bonner, T. Boyle, M. Boyle. Sub: B. Cunningham.

The county would remain without a trophy for 15 years. They contested the 1993 and 1998 Ulster Finals, but lost to Derry on both occasions. Defeat to Armagh in the same contest in 2002, 2004 and 2006 meant another decade without a championship trophy. They contested the 2006 Division 2 Final, but lost to Louth. However, in 2007, for the first time in the history of the county, the senior football team won the National League title. Donegal overcame Mayo at Croke Park on Sunday April 22, 2007 with a score line of 0-13 to 0-10. On-route to the final Donegal defeated Cork, Mayo, Tyrone, Dublin, Kerry, Fermanagh and Kildare while drawing with Limerick.

In 2010, after a disappointing Championship, in which Donegal lost at home to Down after extra time, and lost to Armagh in Crossmaglen by 9 points in the first round of the Qualifiers, John Joe Doherty resigned from his post as the County’s Senior Football Manager. Jim McGuinness replaced him after taking the county U21s to the all ireland final in 2010. He was appointed on 26 July 2010. McGuinness brought Kevin Cassidy and Michael Hegarty out of retirement, introduced many players from the U-21 side to freshen up a team who have been under achieving in previous years. He also introduced structure and discipline, something that many observers claimed that a lot of talented Donegal teams between 1993 and 2011 lacked.