BALLYBOFEY was baking in June 2000 as Donegal and Fermanagh had a memorable shoot-out in the Ulster Championship.
The Ernesiders pulled off a two- point victory thanks to current Donegal manager Rory Gallagher, who scored 1-6 including a wonder goal.
Gallagher was only 22 but had all the chutzpah and confidence of a veteran as he found himself one-on-one with Tir Chonaill ’keeper Tony Blake and produced an exquisite chipped finish.
That day in Ballybofey was just one of a number of summer afternoons when Gallagher’s brilliance lit up the Ulster Championship.
But when reminded of his feats and Fermanagh’s regular wins over Donegal back then – they won Championship encounters in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004 – at Donegal’s press evening, Gallagher says: “These fellas don’t believe it,” as he references Ryan McHugh, Frank McGlynn and Hugh McFadden who have been wheeled out to speak to the media.
But Gallagher, who began his footballing life with Belleek club Erne Gaels, is not in the least bit nostalgic, however pleasant the memory.
“Not really, as you move on,” he said.
“I am a long time gone from living in Fermanagh since 2002, but at the same time, naturally they are a team that I would follow.
“But still, you move on and there has been a great bond and friendship with the Donegal lads over the past five or six years.
“We always want to win the first round of the Championship and it just happens to be Fermanagh this year.”
Unlike previous years, Donegal have been given a long rest period before their first outing after a few early epic tussles with Tyrone in recent seasons.
“It has been eight weeks since our last regulation game against Monaghan and we are really looking forward to meeting Fermanagh and we have enjoyed the build-up,” said Gallagher.
“Last October we would have liked to have been last or second last out considering we had some very early starts in the past few years and the lads were able to be away with their clubs for a round of championship matches.
“We have had a good time away and it has been topped off with all the good weather.”
The Ulster Championship has had a slow start so maybe Donegal and Fermanagh will ignite matters at MacCumhaill Park on Sunday.
Gallagher takes the question and immediately starts to talk up the opposition.
“Fermanagh are a team on the up and have been very competitive for the past 14-15 years,” he said.
“They are always very game and since Peter McGrath came in they have been on an upward curve.
“He came in very late the first year after Peter Canavan and stabilised them and got promotion from Division Three to Division Two and they finished out the League very well.
“And when their backs were to the wall they got two draws against Galway and Tyrone.
“We felt they were always going to beat Antrim and we expect them to come to Ballybofey with a very positive frame of mind.
“They will feel that they will need to push on and as we all know Fermanagh have not won an Ulster title and that will be very much on their players’ radar.
“Their manager has great pedigree and has been around for a long time but he has also adapted to the modern game.
“He is football mad and the county and all his players are very pleased with him.
“Fermanagh abandoned club fixtures for him last year and it takes quite a lot for to get that done. They are fully behind him.”
So why should hot favourites, and All-Ireland champions of 2012 and finalists of 2014 be remotely concerned about a much physically smaller Erne outfit?
“Defensively they have become very sound after being very free-flowing but also conceding quite a bit the first year that Peter McGrath took over,” said Gallagher.
“They have a very good structure with Ryan McCluskey playing the sweeper last year and he now has a ready-made replacement in James McMahon.
“In the middle of the park, Eoin Donnelly and Ryan Jones are as good as there is about.
“They are physically huge at 6’3” and 6’4” and they are also very good footballers.
“Up front Ruairi and Tomas Corrigan and Sean Quigley would grace any team.
“The two McCuskers, Declan and Paul, are unsung heroes and are Trojan workers and are big players.
“But their huge strength is their spirit, unity and togetherness and they are getting the most out of themselves.”
Gallagher isn’t getting too carried away with Fermanagh’s poor second half performance in their preliminary round win over Antrim.
“Fermanagh, like ourselves in the Athletic Grounds last year [against Armagh] switched off a bit against Antrim when they had the game practically won,” he said.
“It can be a difficult to keep momentum for the entire game but they should be very pleased with their first half display.
“They were very clinical but they also managed to pull clear in the end.
“Tomas Corrigan is an exceptional player and I was not surprised in the least that he landed those two sideline kicks.
“They are blessed with himself and Sean Quigley and the onus is on us not to give them any chances.”
So is this the last year for this remarkable bunch of Donegal players, as the big question is left to the embers of a most convivial chat in the arms of a balmy Ballybofey evening?
Gallagher shifts gears and takes the question mid-stride.
“The people that are writing us off, you have to, I suppose, value what they are saying,” he said.
“There are loads of people who would have wanted Donegal to be over as a force a long time ago.
“Right up to last year, people have been writing our obituary, but we just enjoy going out and playing and we back ourselves.
“We feel we have a really good team and squad with lots of young energy.
“Yes we have players who have a lot of football played and players who are not going to be around much longer.
“There is not much doubt about that, but those players know how to win Ulster Championship games.”
