# 2020 Donegal county football team season

The following is a summary of Donegal county football team's 2020 season. The season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season resumed in mid-October of the same year.
Eight players completed the league and championship season while awaiting the outcome of the 2020 Donegal Senior Football Championship final (postponed following a case of COVID-19 at the Kilcar club); these were Patrick McBrearty, Ryan McHugh, Eoin McHugh and Andrew McClean, as well as the following from their opponents Naomh Conaill: Ciarán Thompson, Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí, Eoghan McGettigan and Ethan O'Donnell.

## Squad

    1 S. Patton
    2 E. B. Gallagher
    3 N. McGee
    4 E. McHugh
    5 R. McHugh
    6 P. Brennan
    7 P. Mogan
    8 H. McFadden
    9 C. McGonagle
    23 B. McCole
    11 N. O'Donnell
    12 M. Langan
    13 P. McBrearty
    14 M. Murphy (c.)
    15 J. Brennan

### Subs

    20 A. McClean for P. Brennan
    21 D. Ó Baoill for E. McHugh
    10 C. Thompson for McBrearty
    19 J. McGee for O'Donnell

### Subs not used

    16 M. Lynch
    17 J. Mac Ceallabhuí
    18 E. McGettigan
    22 C. Ward
    24 E. Doherty
    25 C. O'Donnell
    26 P. McGrath

### Other panel members

    ? S. McMenamin
    ? M. Carroll
    ? C. Diver
    ? K. Gillespie
    ? A. Doherty

### Manager

    D. Bonner

### Selectors

    P. McGonigle
    G. Boyle
    S. Rochford
Above is the starting lineup vs Cavan on 22 November 2020

### Others

    Conor Morrison
    Ethan O'Donnell

## Personnel changes

Players added to the panel included Ethan O'Donnell, Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí, Andrew McClean, Conor O'Donnell, Ciaran Diver, Enda McCormick, Aaron Deeney (St Eunan's) and Brian O'Donnell.
Cian Mulligan joined the panel again after departing the previous season. Conor Morrison, who played six games in the 2019 season before deciding to depart in March, returned.
Michael Carroll was recalled after his midfield performances in the 2019 Donegal SFC. Tony McClenaghan also returned, following his injury.
Frank McGlynn retired ahead of the 2020 season.
Odhrán Mac Niallais did not return, having previously opted out of the 2019 season.

## Competitions
### Dr McKenna Cup

Jason McGee had hip surgery in Coventry, England, on 28 November 2019, causing him to miss the opening part of the season.
Eamonn Doherty, Hugh McFadden and Odhrán McFadden-Ferry were all struck down by "January flu" as the season opened.

### National Football League Division 1

Donegal competed in Division 1 for the 2020 National League season. The GAA published the fixture schedule on 26 November 2019. On 12 March 2020, the GAA suspended the National League in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Games resumed in October 2020. The footballers travelled the round-trip of 900 kilometres to Tralee in their own cars to play Kerry in the first game, a feat described in the Irish Independent as the "most eye-catching example of GAA expeditions in the Covid era".

#### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Kerry (C) | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 133 | 112 | +21 | 11 | National Football League champions |
| 2 | Dublin | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 126 | 112 | +14 | 10 | Runners–up |
| 3 | Galway | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 128 | 127 | +1 | 8 | |
| 4 | Tyrone | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 109 | 126 | −17 | 8 | |
| 5 | Donegal | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 117 | 109 | +8 | 7 | |
| 6 | Monaghan | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 113 | 114 | −1 | 6 | |
| 7 | Mayo (R) | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 122 | 123 | −1 | 5 | Relegation to 2021 NFL Division 2 |
| 8 | Meath (R) | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 103 | 128 | −25 | 1 | Relegation to 2021 NFL Division 2 |
* 1 2 Head-to-head result: Galway 2-25 – 0-12 Tyrone.

#### Fixtures
### Ulster Senior Football Championship

The draw for the 2020 Ulster SFC took place on RTÉ Radio 1 on the morning of 9 October 2019.
Paddy McGrath sustained an injury during training ahead of the 2020 Ulster SFC semi-final, which ruled him out.
Ciarán Thompson and Oisín Gallen sustained injuries during training ahead of the 2020 Ulster SFC final; Thompson could only make a substitute appearance in the game and Gallen could not play at all.

#### Bracket

| Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| | | | Donegal | Donegal | 1–13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 1–11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Donegal | Donegal | 1–22 | | | |
| | | | | | | Armagh | Armagh | 0–13 | | | |
| | | | Derry | Derry | 0–15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Armagh | Armagh | 0–17 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Donegal | Donegal | 0–12 |
| | | | | | | | | | Cavan | Cavan | 1–13 |
| | | | Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 0–11 | | | | | | |
| | | | Down | Down | 1–15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Down | Down | 1–13 | | | |
| | | | | | | Cavan | Cavan | 1–14 | | | |
| | | | Antrim | Antrim | 0–9 | | | | | | |
| Monaghan | Monaghan | 1–17 | Cavan | Cavan | 0–13 | | | | | | |
| Cavan | Cavan | 2–15 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Fixtures

* RTÉ, BBC NI
* 1 November 2020 (2020-11-01) 13:30 GMT (UTC+0) Quarter-final
* Report
| Donegal | 1-13 (16) – (14) 1-11 | Tyrone |
| (HT: 1-5 – 0-6) |||
| Gls: M Langan 1. Pts: C Thompson 7 (5fs), M Langan 2, J Brennan 2, O Gallen 1, P Brennan 1. | | Gls: D Canavan 1. Pts: D McCurry 3 (1f), M Bradley 2, M Donnelly 1, C McKenna 1 (f), P Harte 1, F Burns 1, N Morgan 1 (45), D Canavan 1. |
* MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan) Attendance: 0
* Sky Sports Mix
* 14 November 2020 (2020-11-14) 13:15 GMT (UTC+0) Semi-final
* Report
| Donegal | 1-22 (25) – (13) 0-13 | Armagh |
| (HT: 1-12 – 0-3) |||
| Gls: P Mogan 1. Pts: M Langan 3, P Mogan 2, R McHugh 2, J Brennan 2, C McGonigle 2 (1m), C Thompson 2 (1f), N O’Donnell 2 (1m), M Murphy 2 (2f), EB Gallagher 1, H McFadden 1 (m), P McBrearty 1, O Gallen 1, A McClean 1 | | Pts: R O’Neill 7 (6f, 1x’45′), J Clarke 2, C Turbitt 2 (1m), O O’Neil 1, N Grimley 1 (1m). |
* Breffni Park, Cavan Referee: David Coldrick (Meath) Attendance: 0
* RTÉ BBC NI
* 22 November 2020 (2020-11-22) 16:00 GMT (UTC+0)
* Report
| Donegal | 0-12 (12) – (16) 1-13 | Cavan |
| (HT: 0-9 - 0-7) |||
| Pts: P McBrearty 4 (2f), N O’Donnell 2, C McGonigle 2, R McHugh 1, P Mogan 1, M Langan 1, M Murphy 1. | | Gls: C Madden 1. Pts: C Madden 2, J Smith 2, O Kiernan 2, G McKiernan 2 (2f), J McLoughlin 1, G Smith 1, C Brady 1, T Galligan 1, M Reilly 1. |
* Athletic Grounds, Armagh Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry) Attendance: 0

### All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games, the GAA announced that there would be no back-door route into the All-Ireland Championship. Therefore, because Donegal did not win the Ulster Championship, they did not qualify for the 2020 All-Ireland Championship.

## Management team

    Confirmed in November 2017, with replacements noted:
* Manager: Declan Bonner
* Assistant manager: Paul McGonigle, not listed among November 2017 appointments
* Head coach: John McElholm
* Coach: Gary Boyle
* Selector: Stephen Rochford, replacing Karl Lacey after 2018 season but Lacey actually carried on until the end of 2020
* Goalkeeping coach: Andrew McGovern
* Strength and conditioning coach: Paul Fisher
* Nutritionist: Ronan Doherty
* Team physician: Kevin Moran
* Physio: Cathal Ellis
* Psychology and performance manager: Anthony McGrath, previously involved with the minor team
* Video analysis: Chris Byrne
* Logistics: Packie McDyre
* Kitman: Barry McBride

## Awards
### GAA.ie Football Team of the Week

* 27 January: Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Michael Murphy; Murphy nominated for Footballer of the Week
* 3 February: Michael Langan, Jamie Brennan
* 19 October: Ryan McHugh, Jamie Brennan; McHugh nominated for Footballer of the Week
* Langan nominated for, and selected as, Player of the Week
* 16 November: Shaun Patton, Peadar Mogan, Michael Langan; Mogan nominated for Footballer of the Week

### All Stars

Three nominations, for Peadar Mogan, Michael Langan and Ciarán Thompson