FRANK McGLYNN will be back in the Donegal jersey next year and he hopes that “most of the lads” will also return to the fold.
Speaking after Saturday’s All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Mayo, the Glenfin defender said that the Tír Chonaill players would take time out before deciding on their inter-county futures.
“We’re going into the club championship now over the next few weeks and then we’ll sit down together in October/November,” said the 2013 All-Ireland winner.
“Hopefully most of the lads will be back next year to go at it. I’ll be back myself hopefully – that’s the plan anyway.”
On Saturday Tyrone and Monaghan players and officials were still milling around the Croke Park pitch when a confident-looking Donegal team raced out of the tunnel and began warming up for the second game of the doubleheader.
“It’s disappointing,” McGlynn reflected.
“Before the game we thought we were in a good enough place especially after the victory last week (over Galway) got the Ulster final out of our system.
“The way the game panned out, it was probably one of our better performances in the first half over the 35 minutes but, looking back, the goal was a big blow just before half-time.
“Then the second goal was just too much to take. It was unlucky for us but Mayo were delighted and in fairness we didn’t really respond. The scores we did get Mayo were quick to reply.”
While he didn’t attribute Donegal’s disappointing exit to their difficult fixture programme, McGlynn conceded that the going had been tough for the players.
“We knew from the draw at the start of the year that it was going to be a long road,” he said.
“We would have been reasonably happy with the first three games in Ulster and even the defeat (by a point against Monaghan) we were there or thereabouts.
“Sometimes that’s the fine margins in football.”
When asked if Donegal’s schedule had caught up with the players, he replied: “I suppose that’s what they always say after you’re defeated but going out on the pitch we felt we were in a good enough place before the game started.
“I know it wasn’t ideal preparation for a few of the boys who hadn’t trained for a few weeks with niggles and injuries but those are the things you have to deal with throughout the year.
“Martin [McElhinney] picked up a small knee injury and then Karl Lacey from the Ulster final and then Eamonn (McGee) from last week’s game against Galway. I suppose, with the two games back-to-back, they are the things you pick up.”
Éamonn McGee was forced to take on the responsibility for marking Aidan O’Shea after his younger brother Neil retired with a hamstring problem
McGlynn thinks warrior-like Breaffy full-forward O’Shea will prove a handful for the Dublin defence in the All-Ireland semi-final.
“A man of his strength, if he gets enough ball it’s going to pay off eventually,” he said.
“We knew that was going to happen but Neil did very well for the first 34 and-a-half minutes and then he got that one chance and he took it very well.”
