THE success of back-to-back Ulster title triumphs may see confidence soar temporarily, but it is the devastation of defeat that is driving Donegal to try and scale new heights according to Paul Brennan.
The versatile Bundoran player was involved in both those Anglo-Celt successes under Declan Bonner, with final victories over Fermanagh and then Cavan last year helping return the Tir Chonaill men to the top of the tree in Ulster.
However, Donegal would go on to come up short in dramatic Super 8 shoot-outs, bowing out to Tyrone and Mayo in de facto All-Ireland quarter-finals to leave dreams of smashing that glass ceiling unfulfilled.
And Brennan admits the sting of those defeats remained long after the joy of being crowned provincial kingpins had burnt out.
“Looking back on our two previous [Ulster] Finals and our two previous defeats, our first night back after those matches we didn't talk about the finals, we talked about the defeats - Tyrone and Mayo both.
“For me, and I know it's for all of us, it's the defeats that were the sickeners that outweighed the wins, because we know what the group is capable of on a given day.
“The performances against Tyrone and Mayo were well under par for ourselves, and I suppose that's what keeps drawing us back to getting the best out of ourselves. We know we're capable of competing with any team in the country on our day, but it's doing that back to back and achieving that in every match.
“You can't just be a good team some day and then not play for another three weeks. You need to do it every night. I suppose that was the transition from Tyrone and Mayo to this year; that we're trying to put it back to back and get in the training on the Tuesday after the Sunday game and go harder that night.”
Brennan was one of several players who worked themselves to a standstill as Donegal edged out old foes Tyrone a fortnight ago, and he revealed that a change to his own working conditions since the outbreak of the Covid-19 had played a part in his performance.
A professional marine diver, work would often have taken Brennan across the country, and he has benefited from the change of circumstances in the past eight months.
“There’s not too much in the north-west here that would keep you in a full-time role,” said the 31-year-old.
“A lot of my work would’ve been in Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, which is putting in big hours in travel. Now, on the flipside, when Covid hit, I took a step back and it allowed me to do a lot more from home, and I could make it an opportunity to work on weaknesses and strengths and how to get better.
“It let me work on a few injuries I needed to work on… being at home allowed me to be a lot more professional in this campaign. It just coincided with everything that has happened this year, between working away and getting a chance to be at home more for recovery.
“It gave me a chance to brush up so in that sense it worked in my favour this year.”
Having already accounted for the Red Hands, Donegal are considered favourites to go on and land a third Ulster crown. Expectation comes from within rather than from outside, says Brennan, although he is well aware of the threat Kieran McGeeney’s men will pose in Saturday’s semi-final.
He said: “They [Armagh] are back up to Division One. We've always had close games; I have yet to play them where we've got it handy. McGeeney is there now six years and he's got them to a place where he has really stamped his authority on them and the way they play.
“They are a physical side but there is no doubt they have good footballers and they can play. I think they are at a stage now where they really can compete with the top teams.”
