Donegal's record at Croke Park

[BennyCake]

I was reading the Declan Bonner interview in Gaelic Life from a few weeks ago. He was talking about the 1992 semi final v Mayo, and that prior to that game, Donegal (seniors) had never won a match at Croke Park. Would this be correct? I suppose they only won their first Ulster title in 1973 or 74, but I thought maybe they may have won a league game there.

If that is indeed the case, they haven't won many matches in total at Croke Park, to date. I'm not trying to be smart or belittling about it. I'm just fascinated that those guys had the self-belief in 1992 to do what no other Donegal team had ever done before. Not only did they win at Croke Park, but they won Sam too. They were a great team though, with unbelievably gifted players.

[J70]

A team full of leaders, that '92 side. Might have repeated too except for a horrendous injury list and the quagmire in the Ulster final. As for Croke Park wins, yes its true for the seniors. The closest we'd come was in the '83 AI semi when a jammy late Galway goal snatched a game we should have won. There is also a hard luck tale from the late 60s when we lost a league semi to Longford (I think). The ref gave a freeout to Longford when the wind blew the ball off the penalty spot and the Donegal forward naturally tried to reset it!! After '92 we didn't win in Croke Park again in the Championship until the Meath game in 2002. There were a few league quarter and semi final wins through the 90s.

[ross4life]

Probably right BC I'll never forget the joy Donegal's 92 triumph brought to my dad. Was a fine team full of leaders alright, prior to that 1992 senior win they had two AI U-21 winning teams in 82,87 (one won v us ) so they didn't come from nowhere to win & as J70 said probably should have won it again in 1993.

[Billys Boots]

There is also a hard luck tale from the late 60s when we lost a league semi to Longford (I think).

No hard luck tales apply if you can't beat a tiny county like Longford in a semi-final.  Just saying.   

[J70]

There is also a hard luck tale from the late 60s when we lost a league semi to Longford (I think).

No hard luck tales apply if you can't beat a tiny county like Longford in a semi-final.  Just saying.   

Sure we'd only made our first ever Ulster final appearance a couple of years before that! Youse were a relative powerhouse at the time with a league title and Leinster championship!