30/Aug: GAA – Noamh Conaill Into Senior County Final
Noamh Conaill booked their place in the Donegal Senior Championship Final after a dramatic finish against Glenswilly on Sunday. The Glenties men hit 2-2 in the final three minutes to see off a stunned Glenswilly side at the O’Donnell Park in Letterkenny. The Glen lead by five points with ten minutes to go thanks to goals from Colin Kelly and Michael Murphy. Noamh Conaill rallied to the end and pulled off two late goals from the Thompson brothers Anthony and Leon to book a visit to Ballybofey on County Final day. Who they will play is not yet known as Four Masters and Killybegs must meet again after Saturday’s semi final ended in a ten points apiece draw. That replay will take place this Sunday.
Donegal Senior Championship Semi Finals.
Noamh Conaill 2-13 v 2-8 Glenswilly
Four Masters 0-10 v 0-10 Killybegs


Donegal’s Philip Deignan will return to the place of his greatest triumph with the news that he has been selected on the final line up for the Cervelo Test Team’s squad for the Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain). The Swiss team has shown confidence in the Letterkenny rider, who won a stage and finished ninth in last year’s Vuelta but hasn’t shown the same form since. The race starts in Seville on Saturday 28th August and Deignan’s main goal will be to help his teammate, 2008 Tour De France winner Carlos Sastre win the Vuelta.
Two Donegal girls, Ciara Grant of Kilmacrennan Celtic and Tanya Kennedy of Finn Valley have been included in the Republic of Ireland Women’s U17 squad for next months FIFA World Cup. Grant is one of the most senior members of the Irish squad and has also featured in the under 19 team in the UEFA Championship qualifiers. Ciara was crowned the FAI/eircom women’s U17 player of the year in 2008.
Defender Kennedy now in her second year with the U17 squad was nominated for the player of the year award in 2008.
Donegal’s Nora Stapleton played her part in Ireland’s first victory at the Women’s Rugby World Cup against the USA on Tuesday Night. The Fahan girl who is better known for her Gaa connection plays her rugby with Old Belvedere and Leinster. Stapleton has played full games in the opening two fixtures. Having lost out in the first match last weekend to the hosts England, the 22-12 win over the American’s was very much needed to keep any hopes alive of a semi final spot. Ireland’s third pool B game is this Saturday against Kazakhstan.
It was confirmed on Monday Night that Jonathan Minnock has left Finn Harps and returned to the Ulster Senior League. The defender was told at the weekend along with Michael Funston, that they were no longer part of James Gallaghers plans. Minnock makes his return to intermediate football by signing for Swilly Rovers, taking up the role as player manager.
Donegal Manager Jim Mc Guinness has added former defender Damien Diver to his backroom team. The Ardara man will work as a strenght and conditioning coach for players in the south and will also act as a defensive coach. Mc Guinness has also confirmed he is still on the look out for one more mentor to his team and that he has spoken to a number of people but has yet to finalise the matter.
Mark English (Letterkenny AC ) finished 8th in Sundays 1.000 meters final at the youth Olympics in Singapore. Held in very warm conditions of 35 degrees, the fast early pace was set by Sudanese athlete Abdelrahman who went through 400 meters in 53.70, with Geleto of Ethiopia going through 800m in 1.53.15. English moved to the front of the bunch at the 300 meters mark but when Geleto kicked for home at 200 he split the field apart, with the Letterkenny man unable to maintain contact. In the resulting bunch sprint to the line he finished eight in a time of 2.24.95, just outside his best of 2:24.53. Geleto took gold in an impressive 2.19.94 with silver going to the fast finishing Driouch of Qatar 2.21.25 and Briton Charlie Grice got up for bronze in 2.21.85.
Paul McCloskey will enjoy home comforts for the second defence of his European Light Welterweight title against Barry “The Bizness” Morrison on the Hunky Dorys Fight Night at The Aura in Letterkenny on Saturday, October 2nd. The unbeaten Dungiven southpaw will be returning to the scene of his victory over former World Champ Cesar Bazan in 2008 as European Championship Boxing comes to Donegal for the very first time. McCloskey is currently rated number 4 in the World by the WBC and he will be looking to press his claims for a shot at the World’s elite with the likes of Amir Khan and undefeated Americans Tim Bradley and Devon Alexander considered the marquee names in the Light Welterweight division.
Ireland’s Jason Smyth was placed a very credible fourth in the first of the men’s 100m semi-finals at the European Championships in Barcelona. The City of Derry unfortunately missed out on a final place. Smyth ran 10.42 to finish behind Britain’s Mark Lewis-Francis who later in the night went on to win the silver medal in the 100m final. The eventual winner of the event was Christophe Lemaitre of France. Smyth, who is partially sighted and the first Paralympian to compete at these Championships was almost getting more media attention in the mixed zone than French star Lemaitre after the semi final.
On Monday night the 26th of July, Glenties man Jim Mc Guinness was ratified as Donegal Senior Team Manager at a County Commitee Meeting. Mc Guinness has taken the job for a four year term.