RYAN McHugh will become the 43rd Donegal footballer to play 100 games for the county in Sunday’s Ulster final.
The 26-year-old has played in six Ulster finals already, winning three.
Since his Ulster SFC debut in 2013, McHugh has made 42 consecutive appearances in championship football.
Sunday will also see another first with McHugh to follow his father, Martin, in joining the band of players to represent Donegal 100 times. They’ll be the first father and son on the list.
Martin McHugh’s 100th Donegal game also came against Cavan in June 1991.
Ryan McHugh is a two-time All-Star (2016 and 2018) and was the GAA Young Player of the Year in 2014.
Donegal are going for a third successive Ulster SFC title this weekend, but McHugh has already experienced a three-in-a-row dream being dashed.
“When I came in first in 2013, Donegal were going for the same and put a huge emphasis on it,” McHugh said, reference the 2013 loss to Monaghan.
“It’s something we’ll try to win but we’ll not really focus on that.
“We’re only another step and we have no silverware yet.”
McHugh was purring again on Saturday and kicked two superb points in the 1-22 to 0-13 win over Armagh at Breffni Park.
A Peadar Mogan goal in the 34th minute helped propel Donegal to a ninth provincial final in ten years.
McHugh said: “We wanted to really express ourselves but we had some sloppy things. We’ll try to get that right for the final.
“We targeted a good start and we got that. The first half, we put up a huge performance and that set us up for the game.
“When you’re in the game, all you think about is the next ball. You just concentrate on your own game and your own game plan. It was really just about our game plan and we executed it exceptional in the first half.”
RYAN MCHUGH
– Compiled by Fr Seán Ó Gallchóir
| Dr. McKenna Cup | N.F.L. | S.F.C | TOTAL | ||
| 1. 2013 | – | 5 (0-1) | 4 (0-1) | 9 | 0-2 |
| 2. 2014 | – | 7 (0-1) | 6 (2-3) | 13 | 2-4 |
| 3. 2015 | – | 8 (2-1) | 6 (1-0) | 14 | 3-1 |
| 4. 2016 | – | 8 (2-4) | 6 (1-6) | 14 | 3-10 |
| 5. 2017 | – | 6 (1-4) | 5 (1-0) | 11 | 2-4 |
| 6. 2018 | 1 (1-1) | 5 (1-5) | 7 (2-8) | 13 | 4-14 |
| 7. 2019 | 2 (0-1) | 8 (0-5) | 6 (0-6) | 16 | 0-12 |
| 8. 2020 | 1 | 6 (0-4) | 2 (0-2) | 9 | 0-6 |
| 4 (1-2) | 53 (6-25) | 42 (7-26) | 99 | 14-53 |
Debut: 9-2-2013 v An Dún N.F.L. Bealach Féich
S.F.C. Debut: 23-6-2013 v An Dún S.F.C. An Cabhán
Dr. McKenna Debut: 14-1-2018 v Muineachán McKenna Cup Cluain Eois
RYAN MCHUGH – ROLL OF HONOUR
- All-Ireland V.S. F.C.: 2011
- N.F.L. Div 2: 2019
- Ulster S.F.C.: 2014 – 2018 – 2019
- Ulster V.S. F.C.: 2011
- Ulster M.F.L. Shield: 2011
- Dún na nGall S.F.C.: 2017
- Dún na nGall S.F.L. Div 1: 2014 – 2016 – 2017 – 2019
- Dún na nGall U-21 F.C.: 2011 – 2013 – 2015
- Dún na nGall M.F.C.: 2010
- Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta – Náisiúnta: 2014
- G.A.A./GPA All-Star: 2016 – 2018
- G.A.A./GPA Young Player of the Year: 2014
- G.A.A./GPA All-Star Nomination: 2014 – 2015 – 2016 – 2018 – 2019
- Irish News All-Stars Player of the Year: 2014
- Irish News All-Stars Team of the Year: 2014 – 2015 – 2016 – 2018 – 2019
- Dún na nGall Player of the Year: 2016
- Played for Dún na nGall in M.F.C.: 2011 – 2012
- Played for Dún na nGall in 3 Ulster U-21 F.C. finals – 2013 – 2014 – 2015 – lost
all three.
- Played for Dún na nGall in 6 Ulster S.F.C. finals – 2013 – 2014 – 2015 – 2016 – 2018 – 2019. Won 3 (2014-2018-2019)
- Captained Dún na nGall in Dr. McKenna Cup game 5-1-2020 v Muineachán i mBealach Féich.
- Played in each one of Dún na nGall’s 42 S.F.C. games since his 2013 S.F.C. debut v An Dún (Michael Murphy’s unbroken S.F.C. appearances go back to 2012 – 49 games).
- Martin O’Reilly and Paddy McBrearty played along with Ryan in 2011 All-Ireland Vocational Schools’ final.
- Martin McHugh played his 100th game for Dún na nGall on 2-6-1991 – against An Cabhán i mBealach Féich in the Ulster S.F.C. He played his 138th and last game for Dún na nGall on 26-6-1994 against Tír Eoghain in the Ulster S.F.C. in An Cabhán. If Ryan makes the 100, Martin and Ryan will become Dún na nGall’s first father-and-son centurions.
