Brian McEniff: Donegal are going to beat Kerry. Paudie Clifford did the damage last year but he’s missing

McEniff believes the future of Donegal football is in good hands, even when Jim McGuinness ends his second term as manager

Brian McEniff thought Donegal gave Paudie Clifford the "freedom of the park" in last year's All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

As luck would have it, the Donegal Association Dublin have their annual event just down the road from Croke Park on Saturday night. Ardara man Packie Keeney, co-founder of Highland Radio, will be confirmed as Donegal Person of the Year in The Bonnington Hotel.

Among the attendees will be Brian McEniff, the 1992 recipient, as he make a weekend of it as he hopes to see Donegal claim only a second ever Division 1 title on Sunday.

“I would still have regrets about ’93 when we lost to Dublin,” says the 83-year-old. “We should have won it the first day, Dublin deserved it the second day. We’ve only won one when Brian McIver was over the team that beat Mayo (in 2007).” 

For a manager whose attitude at least to the latter part of the round section has often been indifferent, McEniff expects Jim McGuinness to go out to win Sunday’s final. He expects he will be victorious too.

“Now that he is a league final, knowing Jim, he will want to win it. To beat Kerry in Croke Park would be a very good thing. Jim’s a very astute man and we’d be going into this game expecting to win it, to be honest with you.

“It’s become a bit of a rivalry with Kerry and in fairness to Jim he’s helped to make it that way. We’re the second favourites for the All-Ireland in the country and deservedly so.

“I think Donegal are going to beat them on Sunday. Paudie Clifford did the damage last year but he’s missing. Kerry still have good forwards. I love watching David Clifford. You couldn’t but as a GAA man but his brother is a big loss this for them this weekend.” 

McEniff had been critical of Donegal’s inability to cope with the elder Clifford brother last year. “Kerry came at us in waves and our zonal defence didn’t work at all. Their No 14 (Paudie Clifford) had the freedom of the park,” he wrote in his “Donegal Democrat” column afterwards.

The 1992 All-Ireland winning manager agrees Donegal are varying their set-up more in this league and believes they are more comfortable kicking two-pointers having failed to register one in the defeat to Kerry eight months ago. This year, they are averaging three a game in contrast to two at this stage last year.

“We were a bit sore after that final because we could have played a bit better on the day. We seem to be getting the hang of scoring more two-pointers anyway.

“All credit to the people who put the rules together because they have only been a benefit to Gaelic football. In hindsight, maybe they should have put the goal up to four points. But they are great and you can see teams like Donegal really attuning to them now.” 

McEniff is also encouraged by what he’s seen of Donegal in the middle third during this league. “The team’s moving well and I tell you what we’ve got, we’ve got a lot of size in the middle of the field, which is a major plus these days in football. Jason McGee is playing out of his skin, Hugh McFadden is a great workhorse. Michael Langan. We are served well there.” 

That Shaun Patton hasn’t been missed as Gavin Mulreany has occupied the No 1 spot these past couple of months is a plus too. “There’s marvellous competition for that jersey now,” says McEniff. “Shaun is going to have to fight to get his place back, which is good. Both are trustworthy ‘keepers.” 

McGuinness is into the third season of this second term. He has the option of a fourth year and McEniff is certain the future of Donegal football will remain in good hands whenever the Glenties man chooses to step away.

“Young Karl Lacey has taken over the minors. I’d say he has his eye on the senior job in the future, and I think he could be quite good. There are a lot of good things happening in his club Four Masters.

“We’ve won the first couple of U20 games in Ulster too. We beat Monaghan in Castleblayney the other night. Success breeds success and thankfully there is a good bit of it in Donegal at the moment. Long may it last.”