THERE was no doubt in Shannon McGroddy’s mind that she would one day pull on the green and gold of Na Dúnaibh as a senior player.
She had to temporarily exchange her native club colours for the maroon and white of nearby club Termon in 2014 as a young 18-year-old because Downings did not have a senior football team, with the underage structure in the club in its infancy.
Fast-forward 10 years and Downings not only have their first Donegal junior county title, but they have added the Ulster crown and are now readying themselves for a home All-Ireland semi-final against Kildare and Leinster champions Kilcock on Sunday (1pm).
McGroddy has been instrumental in Na Dúnaibh’s success since their adult team was revived in 2017. That year, she returned home from Termon having enjoyed huge success, including an All-Ireland Club senior medal from 2014, her first year with the club, when she played as a midfielder.
Now a full-forward, it was her point early in the first half of extra-time against Warrenpoint in the Ulster final a couple of weeks ago that proved the winning score.
She also scored the winning point in the semi-final win over Eoghan Rua (Derry) in a hard-fought battle.
Right now, things could not get much better for McGroddy – who also recently got engaged to fiancé James Lee McBride – and her team-mates as they embark on the All-Ireland trail.
“Winning Ulster was insane. There’s no other word for it. I think girls went to a place mentally and physically that they’d never been before,’’ she says.
‘‘We really dug deep and that win meant more to us than anyone will ever know. Arriving back home in Downings with the cup and getting to share that with our friends and families was something that will live long in our memories.
‘‘By Tuesday, preparations were well underway for an All-Ireland semi-final at home,” added the primary school teacher, who teaches in Portlean NS in Kilmacrennan.
“Termon was my first experience of playing at the highest level and with top-quality players. The club and the girls were really good to me. To be back home now and wearing the green and gold of Na Dúnaibh again, nothing beats it.
‘‘This is where I grew up and first learned my football and it’s where I ultimately always wanted to be back playing.”
McGroddy says the support they have received has been unbelievable and crucial, especially in those really tight games against Eoghan Rua and Warrenpoint. So to have a home All-Ireland semi-final is huge and something they will look to use to their advantage.
“It’s a special day for the club and the community and it has brought real buzz and excitement. Everybody you meet is talking about the game on Sunday. It’s lovely to see what it means to people,” she said.
“For a small club we have a serious support. Our supporters have been our 16th player all year. They followed us all over Donegal and Ulster.
‘‘We are a very close-knit club and everyone is rooting for us. They have been the ones to get us over the line in tough games this season.
‘‘Home advantage is brilliant, it will be one of the biggest games ever played in na Dúnaibh and I think it will draw in a huge crowd, not just from home but from all over Donegal. It’s very exciting!”
McGroddy does not dispute that her side are in bonus territory, but having come through a competitive provincial championship, there is the added belief that they are good enough to win this weekend.
“We’ve went through this championship taking one game and one step at a time,’’ she says.
“Nothing changes in that regard. Obviously the All-Ireland series brings a whole new opportunity and you can’t help but think about what we could be capable of achieving.
‘‘On the other hand, we haven’t got ahead of ourselves this season yet and we won’t be starting now. We’ve come through three intense Ulster games and I think that will stand to us massively.
‘‘We can take real confidence and belief from our journey so far this year. We are the first Donegal team at junior level to win Ulster and that’s historic.
‘‘Each game in Ulster has demanded a higher level of intensity, work-rate and physicality. We look at this game now as just another opportunity to deliver.
‘‘To now be in the last four teams in the country at this level is just incredible. It is bonus territory for sure but we are enjoying every minute.”
