‘We are in bonus territory’ – Dineen
John Tarrant Donoughmore boss Donal Dineen is full of positivity ahead of Sunday’s All Ireland final
DONOUGHMORE are on the march in search of reviving the memory of former glory days.
Standing in Donoughmore’s path of All Ireland glory are North Mayo outfit CL McHale Rovers as team manager Donal Dineen expresses excitement at the prospect of standing one hour away from All Ireland Junior glory.
“We’re really in bonus territory, our side is a mixture of youth and experience. Its all about doing our best, all involved are looking forward to the next challenge,” he said.
A sense of both joy and relief could be detected on the face of the Donoughmore boss in the aftermath of his side’s thrilling victory over Navan O’Mahonys in the All Ireland Junior semi-final.
What had looked a pretty straight forward operation, Donoughmore netting three goals inside the opening eight minutes became an exercise in survival down the home straight with the Meath champions coming in search of an equaliser in a bid to take the game into extra time.
“It was a game of two halves, we dominated early on, building up a big lead only to allow Navan back into the game. They took their scores really well, it proved a tough test but we were delighted to get over the line,” said the manager.
Of course, Donoughmore were a dominant force in ladies senior football in the recent past. At the turn of the millennium, Donoughmore were knocking on the door for a number of years only to come up short to the likes of crack Waterford outfit Ballymacarbery.
However, on their seventh attempt as Cork champions, when the need for patience was paramount, Donoughmore gained reward to collect a deserved Munster title in 2001 and for good measure, they added an All Ireland title on overcoming Ballyboden St Endas of Dublin.
Just two seasons later, Donoughmore added a second senior title to their collection, easily overcoming Meath side Seneschalstown in the final.
Twice more from a rewarding decade in Cork and Munster, Donoughmore reached All Ireland Finals only to come up short to Ballyboden St Endas and Donaghmoyne of Monaghan. Some consolation for the latter defeat in 2009, inspirational Donoughmore team captain Juliet Murphy took the Player of the Match Award in the Nowlin Park showdown.
Subsequent retirements saw Donoughmore’s fortunes and status fall from grace at senior ranks with the likes of Inch Rovers and Mourneabbey emerging strongly. ,However there will always remain a pedigree in ladies football within Donoughmore club and the process of team building is now bearing fruition.
“Two years ago, we had no adult team, last season, we reached a county semi-final, only to be defeated by the eventual All Ireland champions Glanmire. By building for the future, we’re continuing the great work of previous personel within the club,” said Dineen.