Niamh Carr backing Donegal to upset the odds

Michael Bolton

It has not been the easiest couple of years for the Donegal women, but Niamh Carr is setting her sights on the team returning to the top table of the championship.

A young side which has shown progress, Donegal started the year strongly by winning Division Two, but suffered the setback of not reaching the Ulster final.

Up first for Donegal is Dublin, as the defending champions defeated Mayo in their opening game last Sunday.

The fixture will bring back memories of their famous quarter-final win in 2022, memories which Carr will hope to repeat.

"We are going into a lot of these as underdogs. That game in 2022, it is mad to think it was that long ago.

"We were certainly overwhelming underdogs that day. We just put a performance in; we had a good game plan.

"We have to take our own confidence; we back ourselves on any given day. Things have to go right on the day. We have to make sure we are prepared, we have the hunger, we have got everything on the training field.

"Anything can happen on the day; it is such a tight championship this year, everyone will feel that beat anyone on their day."

Since that victory, the big wins in the championship have been few and far between for Donegal.

Dublin were big winners a year later, and Donegal found themselves needing to beat Leitrim in a relegation play-off to stay in senior football last season.

From retirements to players in the AFLW, young players have been key to the redevelopment of this Donegal team.

The same can be said for Mayo, whom Donegal will also face in the group, in a game that will likely decide who advances to the quarter-final.

"We played each other in the league this year, and it was a very tight affair.

"We would be similar in terms of losing a few players. Some have retired, and younger players have come in. That is the way it goes in ladies' football.

"A lot of girls move on and do different things; you have to breed the youth that come in. Mayo have been doing very well with their youth, I think they are a little bit further down the line than us in terms of the transition.

"We are very lucky that we still have a few experienced players in the team, and we have a few younger players coming in from Minor who have brought a huge amount of energy and youth to the team.

"Getting them both together is the aim."