Hair-raising moments in Donegal’s journey

It’s been some journey.

And today, the final leg will play out like a Jimmy McGuinness dream.

“I wake up every morning, and see the same thing — the Sam Maguire sitting in the front of the team bus. And when we close that door, it will begin the best journey of our lives.”

The Donegal manager was 18 the last and only other time Donegal were All-Ireland champions. That was a blur, he said last night after the county’s 2-11 to 0-13 All-Ireland final success.

Today, McGuinness will be able to sink deep into that coach front seat and savour the remarkable transformation he has overseen in one of the most passionate football counties in the country.

His secret? Focus. Discipline. Perspective. “I was in a hospital in Letterkenny last week and people who were very, very ill were getting up on their feet as we were leaving to wish us well. That is humbling.”

McGuinness advised his charges their achievement is “a life-changing experience”, an assessment with which inspirational skipper Michael Murphy concurs: “It’s kind of surreal. You should be overjoyed but for the moment it’s just relief that it’s over, and you’ve not lost.”

For Mayo, the 61-year wait becomes 62. Two early sucker punch goals left James Horan’s side with an uphill struggle, one they manfully attempted to overcome without ever getting close enough to deny Donegal.

Dublin will be one of the challengers to the new champions next season, but the next generation of Dubs are already pointing to future trends — they made up for the disappointment of last year’s final by claiming the minor football title, defeating Meath 0-14 to 1-5.