Ryan McHugh has put his injuries behind him and is now concentrating his efforts on getting Donegal back to Division 1 and preparing for the defence of the Ulster SFC come summer.

A bleed on the brain and two concussions in the space of seven months convinced Ryan McHugh to take a complete break from football.

Paddy McBrearty couldn’t wait to get close enough to scream into Eoghan ‘Bán’ Gallagher’s ear after Sunday’s Ulster final defeat of Fermanagh in Clones.

Adding to the growing feelgood factor around Galway football, All-Ireland champions Corofin dominate the inaugural team of the club football championship.

When Mayo are in town, there’s usually drama and that was certainly the case in Ballybofey yesterday when a point from Kevin McLoughlin in the fourth minute of injury time preserved the top-flight status of Stephen Rochford’s side at Donegal’s expense.

One former Donegal county man said it this week about Mickey Moran and his spell in the county that brought them to an All-Ireland quarter-final in 2002.

For a team renowned for its defensive prowess, the 17 points and four goal chances Slaughtneil offered up to Kilcar last time out has given the management plenty to think about ahead of Sunday’s AIB Ulster club SFC final.

Stephen Cronin, Patrick Kelly, and Colm O’Neill come into the Cork side for today’s qualifier clash with Donegal in Croke Park (4pm).

Kerry 1-13 Donegal 1-8: He said afterwards the win enabled Kerry to look up towards play-off possibilities rather than look down at relegation threats, but Éamonn Fitzmaurice will look ahead with relish to anything the spring and summer can throw at him after this.

Down 0-7 Donegal 3-15: Rory Gallagher wants Donegal’s established players to feel the heat from the next generation, and there were loads of positives for him to take from Saturday night’s emphatic league win in Newry.

Donegal have hammered Down in their National Football League Division 1 opener with a 17-point win in Newry tonight.

Over 200km and a chasm in competitiveness separated Mayo’s defeat of Mayo and Donegal’s destruction of Armagh last Sunday afternoon but in the performances of Aidan O’Shea and Michael Murphy, there was at least one common thread.

It was on October’s first Friday last year the Donegal panel each received a simultaneous text message that thanked them for their service and wished them all the best for their future — both individually and collectively.

2013 All Stars 10-7 2014 All Stars 5-5

Newly-appointed Donegal manager Rory Gallagher last night expressed his gratitude to predecessor Jim McGuinness.

The RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Donegal SFC was in a state of limbo last night as an appeal by Naomh Conaill into the result of Sunday’s semi-final was being discussed by the Competitions’ Control Committee.

Odhrán Mac Niallais will be happy to play under any of the four candidates to succeed Jim McGuinness as Donegal manager — but his personal favourite is Rory Gallagher.

Brian Cody has avoided suspension for comments about referee Barry Kelly in the wake of Kilkenny’s All-Ireland hurling final replay win over Tipperary last month.

The Donegal SFC began with a bang this weekend with Kilcar defeating the 2013 champions Glenswilly.

To find out how a club with just 300 playing members will have five players on active duty in Sunday’s All-Ireland finals, go back to 1979.

Mark McHugh has revealed how he agonised over his decision to quit Donegal and weighed up the prospect of walking away from an All-Ireland medal.

Jim McGuinness has called for all football calendars to be condensed so that clubs have exclusive access to their county players for longer periods of time.

Ryan McHugh insists his big brother Mark has "no regrets" over missing out on Donegal’s latest Ulster title triumph.

Donegal was plunged into crisis last night with coach Damien Diver confirming four players have left the panel, the most high-profile being former All Star Mark McHugh.

Monaghan 1-16 Donegal 1-10

Cavan 2-06 Donegal 0-08

A statement from the Donegal County Board has indicated that it was Jim McGuinness' decision to remove three members of his backroom team - Rory Gallagher, Maxi Curran and Francie Friel - ahead of the 2014 season.

Malin turned the Raidió na Gaeltachta Donegal SFC on its head with a spectacular win over champions St Eunan’s in Buncrana on Saturday night.

Mayo 4-17 Donegal 1-10

There were some big casualties in the Raidió na Gaeltachta Donegal SFC at the weekend in its first season using first round groups.

Donegal captain Michael Murphy has called for the local county championship to be postponed so Jim McGuinness’s squad can concentrate fully on next month’s Ulster final against either Cavan or Monaghan.

Man of the match Paddy McBrearty admitted the Bitegate controversy that has followed him since the league finale against Dublin was “a bit head-melting”.

Donegal assistant manager Rory Gallagher has confirmed he and manager Jim McGuinness expect to have a full panel available for the visit of Tyrone on Sunday week, May 26.

A lottery player drove for more than two hours hoping to cash in on some Lotto luck — and it paid off.

All Star Mark McHugh is a major doubt for the start of Donegal’s national league campaign with a pelvic injury.

Paddy McBrearty admitted he was too laid-back in his preparations for Sunday’s All-Ireland final.

There have been 124 All-Ireland football champions proclaimed over the course of three different centuries but Paddy McBrearty believes Donegal’s would rank as the greatest of them all were they to claim Sam Maguire this year.

Former Donegal player Michael Hegarty has hit out at the criticism directed at the team since Jim McGuinness took over.

Donegal’s success has compelled Paddy McBrearty to turn down professional contracts from two Australian Rules clubs.

Carbery Rangers issued a significant statement of intent at the opening hurdle of the Cork SFC in Dunmanway last night when they swept past Clonakilty.