# Match for Michaela

Match for Michaela was a Gaelic football match played under floodlights at Casement Park in Belfast on Saturday 3 November 2012. The match was held in memory of Michaela McAreavey.

## Background

All-Ireland Senior Champions Donegal played a team comprising players from the rest of Ulster in an event intended to raise funds for The Michaela Foundation. Match for Michaela was launched on 25 October 2012.
Match for Michaela marked the first occasion that the Donegal senior football team played since winning the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final on 23 September. The game took place ahead of a planned redevelopment of Casement Park.

## Team selection
### Donegal

Donegal manager Jim McGuinness named a squad featuring six All Stars—Paul Durcan, Frank McGlynn, Karl Lacey, Neil Gallagher, Mark McHugh and Michael Murphy. The position of Lacey, the 2012 All Stars Footballer of the Year, was in some doubt ahead of the game after he picked up a hamstring injury playing for his club Four Masters. As the final of the 2012 Donegal Senior Football Championship was the following day, players from the St Eunan's and Naomh Conaill clubs were excused. Among these were Rory Kavanagh, Leo McLoone and Anthony Thompson.
| No. | Player | Position | Club |
| 1 | Paul Durcan | Goalkeeper | The Four Masters |
| 2 | Paddy McGrath | Right corner back | Ardara |
| 3 | Eamon McGee | Full back | Gaoth Dobhair |
| 4 | Tommy McKinley | Left corner back | Naomh Colmcille |
| 5 | Frank McGlynn | Right half back | Glenfin |
| 6 | Karl Lacey | Centre back | The Four Masters |
| 7 | Declan Walsh | Left half back | Malin |
| 8 | Christy Toye | Midfield | St Michael's |
| 9 | Neil Gallagher | Midfield | Glenswilly |
| 10 | Daniel McLaughlin | Centre forward | St Michael's |
| 11 | Adrian Hanlon | Left half forward | An Clochán Liath |
| 12 | Ryan Bradley | Right half forward | Buncrana |
| 13 | Patrick McBrearty | Right corner forward | Cill Chartha |
| 14 | Michael Murphy (c) | Full forward | Glenswilly |
| 15 | David Walsh | Left corner forward | Naomh Bríd |
| No. | Player | Position | Club |
| 16 | Michael Boyle | Substitute | Termon |
| 17 | Antoin McFadden | Substitute | St Michael's |
| 18 | Mark McHugh | Substitute | Cill Chartha |
| 19 | Peter Witherow | Substitute | St Michael's |
| 20 | Martin McElhinney | Substitute | St Michael's |
| 21 | Stephen Griffin | Substitute | St Naul's |
| 22 | Barry Dunnion | Substitute | The Four Masters |
| 23 | Martin O'Reilly | Substitute | Seán MacCumhaill's |
| 24 | Gary McFadden | Substitute | Glenswilly |
| 25 | Peter McGee | Substitute | Gaoth Dobhair |
* Manager: Jim McGuinness
* Selectors: Rory Gallagher, Maxi Curran, Pat Shovelin
** Surgical consultant: Kevin Moran
** Team doctor: Charlie McManus
** Team physio: Dermot Simpson
* Backroom team: Physical Therapists: Charlie Molloy, Paul Coyle, Donal Reid, JD.

### Ulster

Ulster manager Joe Kernan named a squad containing at least one player from every county in Ulster, apart from their opponents Donegal. Four players from Tyrone were named in the squad.
| No. | Player | Position | Club |
| 1 | Brendan McVeigh | Goalkeeper | An Ríocht/Down |
| 2 | Ryan McCluskey | Right corner back | Dungannon Swifts/Fermanagh |
| 3 | Dan Gordon | Full back | Loughinisland/Down |
| 4 | Chrissy McKaigue | Left corner back | Slaughtneil/Derry |
| 5 | Ciarán McKeever | Right half back | Cullyhanna/Armagh |
| 6 | Darren Hughes (c) | Centre back | Scotstown/Monaghan |
| 7 | James Loughrey | Left half back | St Brigid's/Antrim |
| 8 | Seán Cavanagh | Midfield | Moy Tír Na nÓg/Tyrone |
| 9 | David Gibney | Midfield | Mountnugent/Cavan |
| 10 | Colm Cavanagh | Centre forward | Moy Tír Na nÓg/Tyrone |
| 11 | Mark Poland | Left half forward | Longstone/Down |
| 12 | Joe McMahon | Right half forward | Omagh St Enda's/Tyrone |
| 13 | Martin Penrose | Right corner forward | Carrickmore St Colmcille's/Tyrone |
| 14 | Michael McCann | Full forward | Cargin/Antrim |
| 15 | Conor McManus | Left corner forward | Clontibret O'Neills/Monaghan |
| No. | Player | Position | Club |
| 16 | Niall Morgan | Substitute | Edendork St Malachy's/Tyrone |
| 17 | Conor Gormley | Substitute | Carrickmore St Colmcille's/Tyrone |
| 18 | Vinny Corey | Substitute | Clontibret O'Neills/Monaghan |
| 19 | Brendan Donaghy | Substitute | Clonmore Robert Emmet's/Armagh |
| 20 | Ambrose Rogers | Substitute | Longstone/Down |
| 21 | Gearóid McKiernan | Substitute | Swanlinbar St Mary's/Cavan |
| 22 | Brendan Coulter | Substitute | Mayobridge/Down |
* Manager: Joe Kernan

## Match details

* Donegal