# 2019 Donegal Senior Football Championship

The 2019 Donegal Senior Football Championship was the 97th official edition of Donegal GAA's premier Gaelic football tournament for senior graded clubs in County Donegal. 16 teams competed, with the winner representing Donegal in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship began with four groups of four, and continued with a knock-out format.
The defending Donegal (and Ulster) champion was Gaoth Dobhair, after the club defeated Naomh Conaill by a scoreline of 0–17 to 1–7 in the 2018 final. However, Gaoth Dobhair failed to defend its crown, losing the final to Naomh Conaill, by one point, after a second replay.
This was Glenfin's return to the senior grade after a two-year exodus, when claiming the 2018 I.F.C. title.
Malin suffered relegated back to the 2020 I.F.C. after 16 seasons in the top-flight, when losing its relegation final. Back in 2003, Malin gained promotion to the S.F.C. for the first time in the club's history. Although Malin lost the I.F.C. quarter-final to eventual champion St Michael's that year, the club earned promotion to Division 1 from Division 2 of the Donegal Leagues. At that time, promotion to the S.F.C. could be acquired through the leagues.

## Team changes

The following teams changed division since the 2018 championship season.

## Format

The 2019 County Championship took the same format as previous championships in which there was four groups of four with the top two qualifying for the quarter-finals. Bottom of each group play in relegation play-offs to decide which team is relegated the 2020 Intermediate championship.

## Group stage

All 16 teams enter the competition at this stage. The top 2 teams in each group go into the Quarter-Finals while the bottom team of each group entered a Relegation Playoff.

### Group D
## Knock-out stage
### Quarter-finals

| 28 September 2019 | Cill Chartha | 2-14 - 0-11 | Na Cealla Beaga | MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |
| 28 September 2019 | St Eunan's | 5-22 - 0-11 | Milford | MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |
| 29 September 2019 | Gaoth Dobhair | 2-20 - 2-17 | Réalt na Mara | O'Donnell Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |
| 29 September 2019 | Naomh Conaill | 1-14 - 0-13 | Glenfin | Glenswilly Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |

### Semi-finals

| 6 October 2019 | Naomh Conaill | 0-15 - 1-11 | St Eunan's | MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |
| 6 October 2019 | Gaoth Dobhair | 3-8 - 0-12 | Cill Chartha | MacCumhaill Park Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |

### Final

| 20 October 2019 16:00 | Naomh Conaill | 0-08 - 0-08 | Gaoth Dobhair | MacCumhaill Park Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary's, Convoy) Man of the Match: Ciarán Thompson |
| 20 October 2019 16:00 | | Report | | MacCumhaill Park Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary's, Convoy) Man of the Match: Ciarán Thompson |

### Final replay

| 27 October 2019 15:00 | Naomh Conaill | 1-11 - 0-14 | Gaoth Dobhair | MacCumhaill Park Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs) |
| 27 October 2019 15:00 | | Report | | MacCumhaill Park Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs) |

### Final second replay

| 30 October 2019 20:00 | Naomh Conaill | 0-8 - 0-7 | Gaoth Dobhair | MacCumhaill Park Referee: Seamus McGonagle (Aodh Ruadh) |
| 30 October 2019 20:00 | Charlie McGuinness 0-2 (2f), Ciarán Thompson 0-2 (45), Leo McLoone, Ethan O'Donnell, Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí and John O'Malley 0-1 | Report | Michael Carroll 0-3, Cian Mulligan 0-2, Odhrán Mac Niallais 0-1, Eamonn Collum 0-1 (1f) | MacCumhaill Park Referee: Seamus McGonagle (Aodh Ruadh) |

## Relegation play-offs
### Relegation semi-finals

| 5 October 2019 | Four Masters | 2-13 - 1-7 | Malin | Convoy Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |
| 5 October 2019 | An Clochán Liath | 3-9 - 2-10 | Ard an Rátha | Killybegs Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |

### Relegation final

| 20 October 2019 19:00 | Ard an Rátha | 2-14 - 3-8 | Malin | Convoy Referee: ??? Man of the Match: ??? |

## Gradam Shéamuis Mhic Géidigh

Ciarán Thompson was named as the recipient of the annual Gradam Shéamuis Mhic Géidigh.

## Television rights

The following matches were broadcast live on national television, unless otherwise indicated:
| Round | RTÉ | TG4 |
| Quarter-finals | St Eunan's v Milford Cill Chartha v na Cealla Beaga | — |
| Semi-finals | — | Cill Chartha v Gaoth Dobhair (deferred) |
| Final | — | Gaoth Dobhair v Naomh Conaill |