Donegal 2-17 v 0-11 Monaghan

Shea Malone was the Donegal hero as they raced to a 12-point win over Monaghan in the Dr McKenna Cup final in Omagh.

Twenty-year-old Malone was left to round off a fluent move on seven minutes to put Donegal 1-0 to 0-1 up. It began with Kieran Gallagher’s fetch in the middle of the field and saw Shane O’Donnell and Paul O’Hare scamper forward to work the opening.

Then, six minutes from time, with Donegal 1-13 to 0-9 to the good, Malone took on a Peadar Mogan pass and rifled past Monaghan’s substitute goalkeeper Kian Mulligan.

Jim McGuinness has introduced 10 new faces in the last fortnight and, as well as Malone’s 2-1, Turlough Carr, Kevin Muldoon, Eoin McGeehin, Caolan McColgan, Conor McCahill all scored.

Goalkeeper Gavin Mulreany hit two-pointed frees over either side of the break, at which time Donegal were 1-7 to 0-6 in front. Gabriel Bannigan’s Monaghan usually have their own netminder, Rory Beggan, to keep the orange flags going, although was absent following Scotstown’s run to the All-Ireland Club semi-finals.

Donegal open Division 1 at Croke Park against Ger Brennan’s Dublin on Saturday, with Monaghan, last year’s Division 2 winners, welcoming Armagh on Sunday. Mulreany’s save from Thomas Hughes in the 15th minute was important when Donegal were four up, although Monaghan showed enough last season – giving Donegal a considerable scare at Croke Park in the All-Ireland quarter-finals – to have a footprint in 2026.

After Donegal and Malone’s first goal, the tone for the contest was set, with an arm’s length advantage for the most part. They kicked on late in the game with runners all over the place.

Monaghan made slight inroads before and after and half-time, with Hughes, Stephen Mooney and Andrew Woods on the mark, although in part two, they were never closer than five points. Donegal’s experience infused their youth with Jason McGee’s belter for two and Ryan McHugh finishing it out.

Donegal scorers: Shea Malone 2-1; Gavin Mulreany 0-4, 2tpf; Hugh McFadden and Conor O’Donnell 0-2;Jason McGee 0-2, tp; Turlough Carr, Kevin Muldoon, Eoin McGeehin, Caolan McColgan, Conor McCahill 0-1 each.

Monaghan scorers: Stephen Mooney 0-2, 1f; Thomas Hughes 0-2; Andrew Woods 0-1, 1f; Ryan Duffy, Jason Irwin, David Garland, Louis Kelly, Eddie Walsh 0-1; Kian Mulligan 0-1, 45.

Donegal: Gavin Mulreany; Ultan Doherty, Brendan McCole, Mark Curran; Paul O’Hare, Caolan McGonagle, Max Campbell; Kieran Gallagher, Hugh McFadden; Shane O’Donnell, Turlough Carr, Kevin Muldoon; Conor O’Donnell, Conor McCahill, Shea Malone.

Subs: Caolan McColgan for McCole (21), Finnbarr Roarty, Eoghan Ban Gallagher and Ryan McHugh for O’Hare, U Doherty and T Carr (half-time), Peadar Mogan for McGonagle (41), Jason McGee and Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde for McFadden and Gallagher (44), Eoin McGeehin for C O’Donnell (46), Seanán Carr for S O’Donnell (48), Oisin Caulfield for Muldoon (50).

Monaghan: Jack Kiernan; Ryan Wylie, Darragh Treanor, Dylan Byrne; Ryan Duffy, Shane Hanratty, Thomas Hughes; Alistair Stewart, Karl Gallagher; Jason Irwin, Liam McDonald, Fionan Carolan; David Garland, Andrew Woods, Stephen Mooney.

Subs: Darragh McElearney, for Shane Hanratty (21), Kian Mulligan Dessie Ward Stephen O’Hanlon and Micheál Bannigan for Kiernan, Irwin, Mooney, and Gallagher (half-time), Louis Kelly, Aaron Kearney and Oisin Monahan for McDonald, Duffy and Stewart (44), Eddie Walsh for Woods (47), Cameron Dowd for Dylan Byrne (50), Sean Callan for Carolan (56).

Referee: Shane Murphy (Armagh).

Donegal dominate to win McKenna Cup Final was last modified: January 17th, 2026 by Contributor