The 2021 Donegal Senior Football Championship was the 99th official edition of Donegal GAA's premier Gaelic football tournament for senior graded clubs in County Donegal. 16 teams competed, with the winner representing Donegal in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.
Naomh Conaill was defending champion after defeating Cill Chartha in a penalty competition held after extra-time of the 2020 final.
Naomh Conaill advanced to the 2021 final, but lost to St Eunan's.
Team changes The following teams changed division since the 2020 championship season.
To S.F.C. Promoted from 2020 Donegal I.F.C. Aodh Ruadh - (I.F.C. Champions)
From S.F.C. Relegated to 2021 Donegal I.F.C. ?
League stage The competition began with a league stage. The draw for the first two rounds was held in June 2021, with the identity of the 2020 Championship winner still unknown, a first such event in the competition's history. Table +PosTeamPWLDFAPDPtsQualification1CLG Chill Chartha44007329 +448Advance to Quarter-finals2Naomh Conaill43016542 +2373Gaoth Dobhair43108150 +3164St Eunan's43106642 +2465CLG Naomh Náille43106044 +1666St Michael's43105959 +067Aodh Ruadh Ballyshannon42116326 +758Seán Mac Cumhaills42206252 +849Gleann Fhinne42205045 +54Advance to Relegation Playoff10Gleann tSúilí42205652 +4411Réalt na Mara41305358 -5212CLG Na Cealla Beaga41304767 -20213Ardara41304569 -24214Milford41305183 -32215Termon40404075 -35016Four Masters40403379 -460 https://donegalgaa.ie/fixtures-results/?season=2021 Fixtures Round 1
Round 2
Round 3 The Round 3 draw was made on 26 September, giving the following fixtures: Ard an Rátha v Kilcar, Seán MacCumhaills v Réalt na Mara, Naomh Conaill v Termon, St Naul's v Glenswilly, Gaoth Dobhair v Glenfin, Na Cealla Beaga v Milford, St Eunan's v Aodh Ruadh and Four Masters v St Michael's.
Ard an Rátha v Kilcar Report Seán MacCumhaills v Réalt na Mara Report Naomh Conaill v Termon Report St Naul's v Glenswilly Gaoth Dobhair v Glenfin Report Report Na Cealla Beaga v Milford Report St Eunan's v Aodh Ruadh Four Masters v St Michael's
Round 4 The Round 4 draw was made in early October, giving the following fixtures: Kilcar v Gaoth Dobhair, Aodh Ruadh v Ard an Rátha, Réalt na Mara v St Eunan's, Termon v Seán MacCumhaills, Glenswilly v Naomh Conaill, St Michael's v Na Cealla Beaga, Glenfin v Four Masters and Milford v St Naul's. Three clubs had by then advanced to the knockout stages – Gaoth Dobhair, Kilcar and Naomh Conaill. Going into Round 4, played on the weekend of October 9, St Eunan's, Glenswilly, St Naul's, St Michael's and Aodh Ruadh sat in the remaining five places.
St Michael's 3–10 — 1–07 Na Cealla Beaga Termon 1–12 — 1–18 Seán MacCumhaills Report Milford 0–09 — 2–16 St Naul's Réalt na Mara 1–07 — 0–14 St Eunan's Glenswilly 0–15 — 1–15 Naomh Conaill Aodh Ruadh 1–16 — 2–07 Ard an Rátha Report Glenfin 0–20 — 0–06 Four Masters Report Kilcar v Gaoth Dobhair ?
Knock-out stage Quarter-finals Gaoth Dobhair and Naomh Conaill, the last two clubs to win the competition, were paired with each other in the quarter-final draw. Seán MacCumhaills and Kilcar met in the other quarter-final on that side of the draw. On the other side of the draw St Eunan's and St Naul's played each other in one quarter-final, while St Michael's and Aodh Ruadh played each other in the other quarter-final.
Semi-finals The semi-final meeting of Kilcar and Naomh Conaill was shown live to a national audience on TG4. Naomh Conaill won, after a late Patrick McBrearty goal that would have brought the sides level, was ruled out.
Final It was Naomh Conaill's fifth consecutive appearance in the final. The game was televised live on TG4. A minute's silence was held before the game in memory of Martin Griffin, whose sudden death occurred the previous day. St Eunan's won.
Relegation play-offs Eight clubs (Glenfin, Glenswilly, Réalt na Mara, Ard an Rátha, Milford, Na Cealla Beaga, Termon and Four Masters) entered the draw for the relegation play-offs once the quarter-final line-up was confirmed.
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
St Eunan's advanced to the 2021 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.
Watty Graham's knocked St Eunan's out of that competition with an injury time point from Danny Tallon winning the game at O'Donnell Park, despite St Eunan's scoring the only goal and leading for much of the game and Shaun Patton saving a penalty.
Gradam Shéamuis Mhic Géidigh Caolan Ward was named as the recipient of the annual Gradam Shéamuis Mhic Géidigh.
Television rights The following matches were broadcast live on national television, unless otherwise indicated: Round RTÉ TG4 Semi-finals Naomh Conaill v Kilcar Final St Eunan's v Naomh Conaill
Statistics Top scorers Top scorer overall Rank Player Club Tally Total1Kane BarrettMilford2–25312Michael MurphyGlenswilly0–2828Cian McEniffRéalt na Mara2–224Oisín GallenSeán MacCumhaills1–23265Gerard WardGlenfin0–2323Philip PattonAodh Ruadh7Niall O'DonnellSt Eunan's1–1922Charles McGuinnessNaomh ConaillPatrick McBreartyKilcarStephen McBrearty0–2211Michael LanganSt Michael's2–1521Daire McDaidTermon1–1813Eoin McGeehinSt Eunan's3–101914Peadar MoganSt Naul's0–181815Stefan BoyleArd an Rátha2–1117C. J. MolloyColm A. McFaddenSt Michael's1–14Ryan McFaddenTermon0–17
References
External links "Club by club guide to the Donegal Senior Football Championship" — Peter Campbell, Tom Comack and Gerry McLaughlin profile the 16 clubs who will go in search of the Dr Maguire "Team of the Championship" — Donegal News