WHEN the 2020 All-Ireland minor football final between Derry and Kerry was set in Tullamore instead of the traditional Croke Park due to COVID restrictions, Steelstown’s Donncha Gilmore probably thought it would be a long time before the chance to play on the hallowed turf of HQ would come around again.
The minor competition was delayed – with the final only taking place at the end of July last year, and the Oak Leafers having to hand the Tom Markham Cup to 2021 winners Meath after just one month of owning it.
It was a strange feeling for Gilmore, thinking of the magnitude of the achievement but simultaneously the opportunities missed out on.
But he had little time to ponder. A few weeks of rest and it was straight into his first championship season with the Steelstown seniors, who were still searching for that elusive first Derry crown.
The versatile defender – who turned 19 on Tuesday – was a central figure in breaking the hoodoo. Reigning champions Greenlough were dispatched of in the Derry intermediate final. A run in Ulster ended with a win over Moortown in the showpiece.
On Saturday past, All-Ireland favourites Na Gaeil stood between Gilmore and that date with Croke Park – seven months on from when he had first missed out. There was no denying him this time.
“I definitely thought that last summer was the time when I would get that chance to play in Croke Park, but thankfully it has been a brilliant year with Steelstown and for myself personally, having not gotten the chance with Derry, it really increased my desire to play at Croke Park with the club,” he explained.
“I’ve had texts from the boys on that Derry minor team saying that obviously it’s brilliant to be in the final, but how special it is that we’ll get to play in Croke Park as well. You don’t know if you’ll ever get the chance and I’m just grateful that I’ll have the opportunity now.”
The teenager – who is part of Rory Gallagher’s senior Derry squad this year - is one of a few fresh faces that have rejuvenated a Steelstown team that always seemed like they were missing one final piece in the puzzle in search of championship glory.
Óg’s captain Neil Forester coached Gilmore as a primary school pupil, and the team bond and the perfect blend of fearless youth and experienced leaders, in Gilmore’s opinion, has been a huge asset as they look ahead to the challenge of Meath’s Trim.
“I think we have a great mix of youth and experience in this team and I’d definitely say that some of the new faces coming in have really changed things.
“The younger players like myself don’t have those same experiences of losing and we don’t really have any bad habits that maybe would have developed in previous years,” he said.
“As a group we have a really strong bond. If one of us feels that another player is making mistakes or needs to change something, we’re not afraid to say it. It’s down to the camaraderie that we have, that we can use that to make us all better players.
“We have taken every game as it’s come, and this is no different. We’ve overcome a lot of brilliant teams so far and I think our game has just risen every time so hopefully we can get over the line on Sunday.”
