One of the great spectacles in Donegal football is the sight of Peadar Mogan spearing through a defence like an electric hare.
And the St Naul’s star goes down the throat of the opposition in a straight line just as the great Martin McHugh went “down the barrel of the gun” against Dublin in that first iconic All-Ireland title for Tír Chonaill in 1992.
It is also not surprising that speed merchant Mogan is not unlike McHugh, as he dips the shoulder and has a really magical left foot that can strike points from any angle and fear into any opposition.
Like his colleague Oisin Gallen, Mogan has had his fair share of injuries over the past few years, but is now fit and raring to go against Derry on Sunday.
For Mogan the games are coming really fast, and few come bigger than Saturday’s Ulster SFC quarter-final against League champions Derry.
“It is great when the Championship comes around so quickly and it seems like only yesterday that we were playing the Dr McKenna Cup,” he said.
“We know what we are up against in Derry, but we will give it our best shot and it is great to be back after injury and preparing for the Championship.”
Derry beat Donegal in the Dr McKenna Cup final when the former were missing the Glen contingent, and Donegal had a few players out injured.
That makes trying to glean anything from that January encounter is a difficult job, after the Oak Leafers won by six points on a heavy Omagh pitch
“They played well and beat us and the thing about them is that all of them are very good on the ball all over,”
“They are all very good footballers and that is probably down to all the good coaching they have got all down through the years.
Mogan missed last year’s Ulster Championship through injury as a Donegal side beset with problems following the departure of manager Paddy Carr in the course of the National League, fell to Down in Newry.
The return of Jim McGuinness has increased the optimism in the county after a forgettable 2023.
“It was a bit sickening having to watch on, but it probably gives you that extra bit of incentive to come back and be even better,” said Mogan.
He experienced pain of a different kind in previous years, losing Ulster finals to Cavan in 2020 and Derry in 2022, but feels that has provided extra motivation as they seek to stop the Oak Leafers’ bid for three provincial titles in a row.
“That was a tough feeling. The Cavan one was really tough as we were expected to win and the same with Derry who deserved to beat us in 2022.
“It was very close, and we should have maybe seen the Derry game out and it was very disappointing as you were coming into a team with boys who already had Ulster medals.
“When I was younger, I went to Clones and watched Donegal lift the Anglo Celt and that was great.
“Not winning those finals is motivation of a type, but every day you go out playing for Donegal you are trying to win and trying to put a smile on the people’s faces that are paying money to support you.
“And the way you do that is by giving them something to cheer about and putting in a display that reflects that.”
But there is huge hype about Sunday’s clash of the titans-something that Mogan relishes.
“It is great, and it is great to be part of that buzz as well and it is nice that people are wanting to talk about football again.
“We are looking forward to a really tough test against a very good Derry team.”