Aoife McDonnell says a tough winter had Donegal’s ladies primed for a big summer in the Championship.
Donegal were slick and sharp as they overcame their old rivals Monaghan on Saturday evening to march emphatically into this weekend’s Ulster final, where they’ll meet Armagh.
“It’s great to be back in the Ulster final,” McDonnell said.
“Monaghan have really put it up to us and we were on the wrong side of them for a long while. Monaghan are rebuilding and we went through that phase for a while, but we’re happy with how we played. There are still things we can improve on.
“We have some quality players who can take scores – and the scoreline reflects that.”
Damian Devaney and Maxi Curran took over for 2018 following the departure of Michael Naughton and they immediately set about getting Donegal geared up for a silverware tilt.
McDonnell returned to Donegal in 2015 having spent two years in Australia, where she played Gaelic football with Cormac McAnallen’s GFC, and Aussie Rules with the Sydney University Bombers.
She believes the hard graft can prove vital for the Tir Chonaill women.
She said: “We knew all along we were working towards the summer. We’re looking at the games now and we’re in the best condition we can be. The hard work is behind us.”
Listen to the full interview below …
https://soundcloud.com/donegalsportstalk/aoife-mcdonnell-after-donegal-ladies-beat-monaghan-in-semi
