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Donegal Senior Football Championship
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Donegal Senior Football Championship
The Donegal Senior Football Championship (abbreviated as Donegal SFC) is an annual football competition organised by Donegal GAA and contested by the highest-level clubs, to determine the best team in County Donegal. Since 2016, it has been known as Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure Donegal SFC after its headline sponsor.
Initially a straight knock-out competition, the Donegal SFC added a round-robin group stage in 2013. The final is played at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey. The winning club qualifies to represent its county in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship, the winners of which go on to compete in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship.
The winning club receives the Dr Maguire Cup. The competition has been won by 17 clubs, 14 of which have won it more than once. St Eunan's are the most successful club with 16 titles while Gaoth Dobhair are just one behind with 15 titles. The most recent team to win the competition for a first time is Glenswilly: in 2011 (followed by further title wins in 2013 and 2016). The most recent first-time finalist (with no title win) is St Michael's, also in 2011.
The reigning champion, Naomh Conaill, defeated Gaoth Dobhair in the 2025 final.
The 1996 Donegal SFC has been described as "probably the greatest ever championship in Donegal", with Na Cealla Beaga playing nine games to lift the trophy that year.
The 1997 Donegal SFC descended into controversy when St Eunan's, having beaten Aodh Ruadh in the final by a scoreline of 1–11 to 2–7, had the title stripped from them — due to St Eunan's fielding Leslie McGettigan, an illegal player. The affair made the national press and its effects continued for many months, into the following year.
In 2002, Na Cealla Beaga were thrown out of the Donegal SFC at the semi-final stage — after also being accused of fielding an illegal player, with New York again at the centre of the dispute. The player — Peter McGinley — as well as the club's chairman and secretary were banned for one year. Assistant secretary Bernard Conaghan (reported the Irish Independent) said: "We were careful not to play this player until his papers came through from New York. We sat him out for a league game and our first Championship match, we did everything we thought possible to make sure he was legal and now this has happened, it's a terrible blow". The final of that competition was not played until 2003 due to a disagreement between Ard an Rátha and Naomh Adhamhnáin over Eddie Brennan.
In 2008, Termon — described in national newspaper the Sunday Independent as "one of the smallest if not the smallest" in the county — reached an SFC final for the first time in their history.
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Donegal Senior Football Championship
The Donegal Senior Football Championship (abbreviated as Donegal SFC) is an annual football competition organised by Donegal GAA and contested by the highest-level clubs, to determine the best team in County Donegal. Since 2016, it has been known as Michael Murphy Sports and Leisure Donegal SFC after its headline sponsor.
Initially a straight knock-out competition, the Donegal SFC added a round-robin group stage in 2013. The final is played at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey. The winning club qualifies to represent its county in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship, the winners of which go on to compete in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship.
The winning club receives the Dr Maguire Cup. The competition has been won by 17 clubs, 14 of which have won it more than once. St Eunan's are the most successful club with 16 titles while Gaoth Dobhair are just one behind with 15 titles. The most recent team to win the competition for a first time is Glenswilly: in 2011 (followed by further title wins in 2013 and 2016). The most recent first-time finalist (with no title win) is St Michael's, also in 2011.
The reigning champion, Naomh Conaill, defeated Gaoth Dobhair in the 2025 final.
The 1996 Donegal SFC has been described as "probably the greatest ever championship in Donegal", with Na Cealla Beaga playing nine games to lift the trophy that year.
The 1997 Donegal SFC descended into controversy when St Eunan's, having beaten Aodh Ruadh in the final by a scoreline of 1–11 to 2–7, had the title stripped from them — due to St Eunan's fielding Leslie McGettigan, an illegal player. The affair made the national press and its effects continued for many months, into the following year.
In 2002, Na Cealla Beaga were thrown out of the Donegal SFC at the semi-final stage — after also being accused of fielding an illegal player, with New York again at the centre of the dispute. The player — Peter McGinley — as well as the club's chairman and secretary were banned for one year. Assistant secretary Bernard Conaghan (reported the Irish Independent) said: "We were careful not to play this player until his papers came through from New York. We sat him out for a league game and our first Championship match, we did everything we thought possible to make sure he was legal and now this has happened, it's a terrible blow". The final of that competition was not played until 2003 due to a disagreement between Ard an Rátha and Naomh Adhamhnáin over Eddie Brennan.
In 2008, Termon — described in national newspaper the Sunday Independent as "one of the smallest if not the smallest" in the county — reached an SFC final for the first time in their history.