Four Masters players Donna Dunnion, Kelly Lacey, Nicola Lacey and Caroline McGroary surrounded by jubilant family and friends on the Diamond. Photos: Jason McGarrigle

Donegal Ladies Return in Triumph

by Sean Dunnion

Donegal 3-14 Kildare 0-12

Donegal Ladies made history on Sunday when they won the All Ireland Junior Championship for the first time ever defeating Kildare by eleven points in Croke Park to lift the West County Hotel Cup. This made up for last year’s disappointment of losing the final to Galway and indeed Donegal failed at the final hurdle on two other occasions in the early 1990’s.
Four local girls were involved with Four Masters, players Donna Dunnion and the Lacey sisters, Kelly and Nicola, who played key roles in the victory. Ballintra girl, Caroline Mc Groary, now playing in Dublin with the St. Brigid’s club also came on as a substitute with ten minutes to go and made her contribution on an historic day. Donna lined out at corner-back marking Kildare danger-woman, Tracy Noone. Nicola had a fine game at midfield while Kelly was outstanding at left-half-forward scoring 1-3 and must have been very close to player-of-the-match.
Donegal next year will play in the Senior Championship but this should not hold any great fears for them as this is a very young team who will continue to improve and will hopefully be back in Croke Park in the years ahead on final day and bring the senior title back to Donegal.
Four Masters G.A.A. Club hosted a formal reception yesterday evening to greet the Donegal Ladies back to the county, and the Cup and squad were paraded into the Diamond by the Ardaghey Band. A great crowd was there to greet them before they headed on to Letterkenny, the hometown of captain, Debbie Lee Fox.

Reception on Diamond

by Margaret Gallagher

The ladies all-Ireland squad arrived in Donegal Town just after eight o’clock last night and were piped down Quay brae by the Ardaghey band to arrive in a packed Diamond. As Kelly Lacey climbed the steps of the awaiting platform with the West County Cup, the town centre came alive. Frank O’Donnell, MC for the night, welcomed the girls. On stage Donna Dunnion blushed as she revealed how boyfriend Jonathan Boyle sent her flowers on Sunday morning, a nice touch from the Ardara man. Paul Duncan, Chairman of Masters, echoed the sentiments of Frank.
Jannette Kelly presented a cheque for the team’s holiday fund to Paddy Mc Caul who said of his first year as chairman of the ladies county board “they don’t come any better than this!” Next to take the mic was Maxi Curran, proud manager, who told the crowd that this time last year the girls came down the road disappointed after losing the all Ireland “It was a hurtful day but the girls decided to give it another go and by God they did it in style”.
Then the captain Debbie Lee Fox thanked everybody for coming out to support them on such a bad night.
I spoke with Nicola Lacey:
Margaret: How did the players feel going out on the pitch yesterday?
Nicola: The whole occasion of Croke Park was all new to us last year. This year the previous experience stood to us, we went out on to the field knowing there was a job to be done and we were going to give it all we had.
Margaret :At what stage of the game did you feel confident?
Nicola: I found the first ten minutes long, because Kildare were coming at us, but after Kelly got the goal we settled ourselves and there was no turning back.
Margaret: How do you and the team feel about stepping up to senior rank
Nicola: The difference in Senior and Junior is not that big. The only exception is there is more hard hitting and we are used to that as we have being playing senior teams all year and we have beaten every Ulster senior team – we are unbeaten and have no fear. This team is ready to play senior.
Margaret: What was your general impression of the weekend?
Nicola: The whole Croke Park setting was unbelievable. We travelled up to Dublin on Friday night and this helped calm us down. The excitement and aftermath was something else and we all let our hair down last night at the victory banquet.
Nicola finished by thanking the families of all the players for their support and encouragment.