MICHAEL Carroll admits Gaoth Dobhair were “a laughing stock” in Donegal a couple of years ago but no-one is laughing now.
The Mervyn O’Donnell-managed side swept Naomh Conaill aside to win their first county title in a dozen years and since then they have gone past Antrim’s Cargin and Armagh’s Crossmaglen with a bit to spare.
Anyone who saw the Gaelteacht side register four goals against Cross could definitely vouch for their credentials in the Ulster final – the club’s first at senior level – on December 2.
Carroll scored 1-3 against Cargin and his movement and passing were instrumental to Gaoth Dobhair’s seven-point success in Omagh last Sunday.
“It has just clicked in the last year or two,” explained the Donegal senior star.
“We were struggling for about five or six years, we were a bit of a laughing stock – we were getting knocked out in the group stage and losing to teams we shouldn’t have been.
“But we have turned it on this year when we needed to. We have a great underage coming through, we have a group of lads around 20-21 and then you have the likes of the McGees (Eamonn, Neil and Peter), Cass (Kevin Cassidy) and Odhran Mac Naillais too, so we won’t fear anyone.
“We’ll be going into the final and Scotstown will be big favourites but hopefully we’ll get a look at them over the next two weeks and give them a good rattle.”
Carroll and his Gaoth Dobhair team-mates were sitting in the Healy Park changingrooms preparing for the second semi-final last Sunday when they heard the roar of celebration/moan of disappointment that greeted Rory Beggan’s dramatic last-minute winner for Scotstown against Derry champion’s Eoghan Rua, Coleraine.
“We heard that Beggan kicked over a free, we heard the roar from the changingroom,” said versatile forward Carroll, who started all three of Donegal’s Championship games in 2017 before leaving the senior panel in March this year.
“They have a good few Monaghan county players – I suppose we have a few Donegal ones – so it will be a tasty enough battle.
“It’s our first ever Ulster final and it’s great to be involved in it. Hopefully there’ll be more to come in the future but we’ll enjoy here and now and we’ll look forward to the next two weeks. There’s a great buzz in Gweedore.
“A lot of us are about 20-21 and we’re used to finals at underage.
“We’re a very relaxed bunch, maybe too relaxed at times, but we’ll enjoy it and soak up the atmosphere about the town.
Beating Crossmaglen in such convincing fashion was ideal preparation for the club’s first ever provincial final at senior level.
“It was a good win,” said Carroll who was part of the side that won this year’s Ulster U21 Club Championship.
“We’re weren’t expecting it to be that comfortable in the end. Crossmaglen are the kings of club football in Ireland but we were quietly confident we would give it a good rattle and we did.
“Daire (O Baoill) had a field day.
“We knew that Cross like a high press and they like to play football but we couldn’t believe how many players we had open up front and we did punish them. But on another day we might not have.”
