# 2015 Donegal county football team season

The following is a summary of Donegal county football team's 2015 season.
The 2015 Donegal county football team season was the franchise's 111th season since the County Board's foundation in 1905. The team entered the season, having reached the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.

## Personnel changes

Rory Gallagher was in his first season as the team's manager. He was ratified on 31 October 2014. In December 2014, Gary McDaid officially joined the backroom team as coach–selector.
Thirteen players were added ahead of the 2015 Dr McKenna Cup, including goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley, Eoin McHugh, Ciaran McGinley, Conor Parke, Eunan Doherty (Naomh Conaill) Kevin McBrearty (Four Masters) and Ryan Malley (Ard an Rátha).
Ahead of the season Rory Kavanagh announced his retirement. Mark McHugh returned.
Another veteran of the 2012 All-Ireland SFC winning campaign, Dermot Molloy, also departed, between the McKenna Cup's conclusion and League's beginning.
Michael Boyle left for Boston before the 2015 Ulster SFC semi-final and Mark Anthony McGinley, who had earlier joined the panel, was promoted to his position.

## Panel

Team as per Donegal v Galway, 2015 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Qualifier, 1 August 2015
| No. | Player | Position | Club |
| 1 | Paul Durcan | Goalkeeper | The Four Masters |
| 2 | Paddy McGrath | Right Corner Back | Ard an Rátha |
| 3 | Neil McGee | Full back | Gaoth Dobhair |
| 4 | Eamon McGee | Left Corner Back | Gaoth Dobhair |
| 5 | Ryan McHugh | Right half back | Cill Chartha |
| 6 | Anthony Thompson | Centre back | Naomh Conaill |
| 7 | Frank McGlynn | Left half back | Glenfin |
| 8 | Neil Gallagher | Midfield | Glenswilly |
| 9 | Martin McElhinney | Midfield | St Michael's |
| 10 | Christy Toye | Right half forward | Naomh Mícheál |
| 11 | Odhrán Mac Niallais | Centre forward | Gaoth Dobhair |
| 12 | Mark McHugh | Left half forward | Cill Chartha |
| 13 | Patrick McBrearty | Right Corner Forward | Cill Chartha |
| 14 | Michael Murphy (c) | Full forward | Glenswilly |
| 15 | Colm McFadden | Left Corner Forward | St Michael's |
| No. | Player | Position | Club |
| 16 | Mark Anthony McGinley | Substitute | St Michael's |
| 17 | Eamonn Doherty | Substitute | St Eunan's |
| 18 | Declan Walsh | Substitute | Malin |
| 19 | Martin O'Reilly | Substitute | Seán MacCumhaills |
| 20 | David Walsh | Substitute | Naomh Bríd |
| 21 | Hugh McFadden | Substitute | Na Cealla Beaga |
| 22 | Leo McLoone | Substitute | Naomh Conaill |
| 23 | Gary McFadden | Substitute | Glenswilly |
| 24 | Eoghan Bán Gallagher | Substitute | Na Cealla Beaga |
| 25 | Ciaran McGinley | Substitute | Cill Chartha |
| 26 | Daniel McLaughlin | Substitute | St Michael's |

## Competitions
### Dr McKenna Cup

The draw was made in early November 2014, with Derry, Fermanagh and Queen's Donegal's opponents in Section B of the competition.
Gallagher's first match in charge of the county was a 2015 Dr McKenna Cup away defeat to Derry.
Queen's was the second game; Dr McKenna Cup Section B up until that point ran as follows: Fermanagh 1–13 0–9 Queen's on Sunday 4 January; Derry 1–16 0–8 Donegal on Sunday 4 January; Donegal 2–16 1–8 Queen's on Sunday 11 January; Fermanagh 1–9 1–7 Derry on Sunday 11 January; Derry vs Queen's at Owenbeg on Wednesday 14 January at 19:30 GMT; Donegal vs Fermanagh at MacCumhaill Park on Wednesday 14 January at 19:30 GMT.
So Fermanagh was the third game.

### National Football League Division 1

Donegal advanced to the Division 1 semi-finals.

#### 2015 Division 1 table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | D | Pts | Notes |
| 2 | Dublin | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7–93 | 2–78 | 30 | 9 | Advanced to NFL semi-finals |
| 3 | Monaghan | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4-86 | 7–84 | -7 | 8 | Advanced to NFL semi-finals |
| 4 | Donegal | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6–75 | 5–70 | 8 | 7 | Advanced to NFL semi-finals |
| 5 | Mayo | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8–79 | 7–79 | 3 | 7 |
| 6 | Kerry | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6–88 | 9-90 | -11 | 7 |
$^1$Donegal, Mayo and Kerry are ranked by points difference.

### Ulster Senior Football Championship

Donegal advanced to their fifth consecutive Ulster final.
| Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| | | | Cavan | Cavan | 0-15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Monaghan | Monaghan | 0-16 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Monaghan | Monaghan | 1-20 | | | |
| | | | | | | Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 0-13 | | | |
| | | | Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 1-13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Antrim | Antrim | 0-08 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Monaghan | Monaghan | 0-11 |
| | | | | | | | | | Donegal | Donegal | 0-10 |
| | | | Derry | Derry | 0-12 | | | | | | |
| | | | Down | Down | 0-11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Derry | Derry | 0-10 | | | |
| | | | | | | Donegal | Donegal | 1-09 | | | |
| | | | Armagh | Armagh | 0-08 | | | | | | |
| Donegal | Donegal | 1-13 | Donegal | Donegal | 2-11 | | | | | | |
| Tyrone | Tyrone | 1-10 | | | | | | | | | |

### All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
## Management team

* Manager: Rory Gallagher
* Selectors: Gary McDaid, Jack Cooney
* Strength and conditioning coach: Paul Fisher

## Awards
### Footballer of the Year

Frank McGlynn

### GAA.ie Football Team of the Week

    Included:
* 4 August: Ryan McHugh, Odhrán Mac Niallais, Colm McFadden