2012 Donegal season

The 2012 Donegal season was the franchise's 108th season since the County Board's foundation in 1905. The team ended the season as All-Ireland champions after winning Sam Maguire MMXII.

Jim McGuinness returned for his second season as the team's manager. Pioneer of the game's revolutionary tactic The System,[1] he entered the season having won the 2011 Ulster Senior Football Championship in his first season at the helm. Consecutive Ulster titles were a possibility, a first in team history, and the 2012 Ulster Senior Football Championship duly followed. McGuinness then became only the second manager, after Brian McEniff at the helm of the fabled Sam MCMXCII side, to lead Donegal to the All-Ireland title.

Management

Team roster

No. Player Position Club
1 Paul Durcan Goalkeeper The Four Masters
2 Paddy McGrath Right Corner Back Ardara
3 Neil McGee Full Back Ghaoth Dobhair
4 Frank McGlynn Left Corner Back Glenfin
5 Eamon McGee Right Half Back Ghaoth Dobhair
6 Karl Lacey Centre Back The Four Masters
7 Anthony Thompson Left Half Back Naomh Conaill
8 Neil Gallagher Midfield Glenswilly
9 Rory Kavanagh Midfield Naomh Adhamhnáin
10 Ryan Bradley Right Half Forward Buncrana
11 Leo McLoone Centre Forward Naomh Conaill
12 Mark McHugh Left Half Forward Chíll Chartha
13 Patrick McBrearty Right Corner Forward Chíll Chartha
14 Michael Murphy Full Forward Glenswilly
15 Colm McFadden Left Corner Forward Naomh Mícheál
No. Player Position Club
16 Michael Boyle Substitute Termon
17 Martin McElhinney Substitute Naomh Mícheál
18 Marty Boyle Substitute Naomh Conaill
19 David Walsh Substitute Naomh Bríd
20 Christy Toye Substitute Naomh Mícheál
21 Stephen Griffin Substitute Naomh Naille
22 Daniel McLaughlin Substitute Naomh Mícheál
23 Martin O'Reilly Substitute Seán MacCumhaill's
24 Dermot Molloy Substitute Naomh Conaill
25 Declan Walsh Substitute Malin
26 Adrian Hanlon Substitute Dungloe
No. Player Position Club
Antoin McFadden Panellist Naomh Mícheál
Gary McFadden Panellist Glenswilly
Peter McGee Panellist Ghaoth Dobhair
Tommy McKinley Panellist Naomh Colmcille
Kevin Rafferty Panellist Naomh Adhamhnáin
Peter Witherow Panellist Naomh Mícheál

↑ Squad as per Donegal vs Mayo in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final on 23rd September 2012

Schedule

Regular season

Ulster Championship

20 May 2012
3:30pm
Preliminary round
Cavan 1-10 - 1-16 Donegal
N McDermott 1-1 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), E Keating 0-5, D Givney 0-2, G McKiernan, J Brady 0-1 each Report C McFadden 1-6 (1-0 pen, 0-5f), R Kavanagh 0-3, M McHugh, L McLoone 0-2 each, N McGee, F McGlynn, N Gallagher 0-1 each
Breffni Park, Cavan
Attendance: 12,847
Referee: Cormac Reilly (Meath)

16 June 2012
5:00pm
Quarter-final
Donegal 2-13 - 0-9 Derry
C McFadden L McLoone 1-0, M Murphy 0-3 (3f), P McBrearty, D Walsh 0-2 each, R Bradley, N Gallagher, A Thompson, F McGlynn 0-1 each. Report P Bradley 0-6 (5f), M Lynch, SL McGoldrick, E Bradley (’45) 0-1 each.
MacCumhail Park, Ballybofey
Attendance: 11,207
Referee: Marty Duffy (Sligo)

30 June 2012
4:30pm
Semi-final
Tyrone 0-10 - 0-12 Donegal
Stephen O’Neill, J McMahon (2f) 0-2 each, C Clarke, C Gormley (45), D Carlin, Sean O’Neill; Mark Donnelly, M Penrose 0-1 each Report M Murphy (3f), C McFadden (2f) 0-3 each, R Kavanagh 0-2, R Bradley, K Lacey, P McBrearty, M McHugh 0-1 each
St. Tiernach's Park, Clones
Attendance: 17, 730
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)

22 July 2012
2:00pm
Final
Down 0-13 - 2-18 Donegal
L Doyle (2f) 0-4 , D O’Hare (1f) 0-2 , C Laverty, A Rogers, K McKernan, A Brannigan, C Maginn, D Hughes, E McCartan 0-1 each Report L McLoone, F McGlynn 1-0 each, C McFadden (3f) 0-6 , Declan Walsh, R Bradley, M McHugh, M McElhinney 0-2 each, David Walsh, D McLaughlin, P McBrearty, M Murphy 0-1 each
St Tiernach's Park, Clones
Attendance: 34, 696
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)

All-Ireland Championship

5 August 2012
16:00
Quarter-final
Donegal 1-12 - 1-10 Kerry
C McFadden (1-00sl, 2f) 1-05 , M Murphy (2f) 0-03 , L McLoone, P McBrearty, C Toye, K Lacey 0-01 each Report C Cooper (2f) 0-04 , K Donaghy 1-00, A Maher 0-02, B Sheehan (1f), Declan O’Sullivan, J O’Donoghue, P Galvin 0-01 each

26 August 2012
15:30
Semi-final
Cork 1-11 - 0-16 Donegal
C O’Neill 1-03, C O’Neill 0-03, P Kerrigan 0-02, D Goulding (f), P Kelly, A Walsh 0-01 each Report C McFadden (2f, 1 ’45) 0-05 , M Murphy (3f) 0-03 , K Lacey 0-02, M McHugh, A Thompson, F McGlynn, D Walsh, M McElhinney, R Kavanagh 0-01 each
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 55,169
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)

23 September 2012
Final
Donegal 2-11 - 0-13 Mayo
M Murphy (3f), C McFadden (3f) 1-04 each, R Bradley, N Gallagher, F McGlynn 0-1 each Report C O’Connor (5f) 0-05 , E Varley (1f), K McLoughlin 0-02 each, L Keegan, M Conroy, R Feeney, J Gibbons 0-01 each
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 82,269
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)

Post-season

Match for Michaela

Further information: Match for Michaela

Played under floodlights[3] at Casement Park in Belfast on Saturday 3 November 2012, this game was held in memory of Michaela McAreavey. Donegal, in their first outing as All-Ireland champions, played a team comprising players from the rest of Ulster in an event intended to raise funds for The Michaela Foundation.[4][5]

All Stars

Donegal achieved eight All Stars, a record for a single season in team history. Karl Lacey was named All Stars Footballer of the Year.

Pos.PlayerTeamAppearances
GK Paul Durcan Donegal 1
RCB Neil McGee Donegal 2
FB Ger Cafferkey Mayo 1
LCB Keith Higgins Mayo 1
RWB Lee Keegan Mayo 1
CB Karl LaceyFOTY Donegal 4
LWB Frank McGlynn Donegal 1
MD Neil Gallagher Donegal 1
MD Aidan Walsh Cork 2
RWF Paul Flynn Dublin 2
CF Alan Dillon Mayo 2
LWF Mark McHugh Donegal 1
RCF Colm O'Neill Cork 1
FF Michael Murphy Donegal 1
LCF Colm McFadden Donegal 1
County breakdown

See also

References

  1. ↑ Duggan, Keith (2 September 2014). "Neil McGee: pushing bodies on was key to Dublin upset - ‘We went away to a training camp for four, five days and Jim more or less broke down their game plan and we exploited it’". The Irish Times (Irish Times Trust). p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2014. One of the lazier stereotypes about the Donegal defensive game – generally labelled ‘the system’ – is that it somehow does the work on its own. But McGee had plenty of moments in the spotlight with Brogan on Sunday and took his turn roaming forward like the other Donegal back six.
  2. ↑ Craig, Frank. "Interview: Keepers deserve their ‘Pat’ on the back". Ardara. As well as Pat, the hospital's surgical consultant, Kevin Moran; team doctor, Charlie McManus and team physio, Dermot Simpson, are all part of McGuinness' backroom team.
  3. ↑ Bogue, Declan (25 October 2012). "GAA Match for Michaela squads announced". The Belfast Telegraph (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  4. ↑ Bogue, Declan (27 October 2012). "GAA stars to turn out for Michaela". The Belfast Telegraph (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Jim McGuinness names strong Donegal side to compete in Match for Michaela". The Score. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.