By Michael McMullan

WHEN they turned the final corner in last summer’s All-Ireland semi-final, Donegal were still within touching distance of the season’s final Sunday.

Two things contributed to their shortfall.

Firstly, their ridiculous level of shooting efficiency was no longer there. Oisín Gallen pulled a free wide when everyone in the press box had another point etched beside his name. Outside of Michael Langan’s booming points, Donegal didn’t keep the scoreboard ticking over enough to cancel out the fortuitous Galway goal.

Secondly, they robbed Peter to pay Paul when Eoghan Bán Gallagher pulled up with an injury. On top of losing Gallagher’s driving runs, moving Shane O’Donnell back to plug the gap took away one of their other attacking options.

Even so, they still could’ve pulled through. In a game of fine margins, Ciarán Thompson touching the ball on the ground, resulting to a free out, was a millimetre. Minutes later, in the same scoring area, Rob Finnerty managed to get his elbow under the ball enough to ensure it wasn’t a free in. That’s how fine it was.

In an off-season interview with Highland Radio, manager Jim McGuinness pointed to the loss of Shane O’Donnell. At the time, it was just a statement that balanced up against the decision to bring back Michael Murphy.

The fact he had something to offer with the new rules was just one part of it. The four other names returning leaves Donegal is prime position.

Odhrán McFadden Ferry’is another excellent defensive option after coming back from injury. Finbar Roarty, now old enough to play at county senior level, is another. Moving Shane O’Donnell back next year won’t happen.

Murphy as a target man and a long-range kicking option has been backed up with Eoghan McGettigan coming in as another piece of the attacking puzzle.

Eoin McHugh makes a return and another reason why the panel will have a thicker look about it.

Collectively, five new faces will have men looking over their shoulder in a year when Donegal progress could come under fire from second season syndrome.

It’s never that is never spoken of unless there is a dip, but after Donegal’s 2024 climb from Division Two to Ulster champions, the room for improvement is smaller.

Sometimes a bounce is harder to find in the second season. With five additions, the players in the starting 15 will know their place is under threat. Murphy isn’t coming back to be a 15-minute man.

Should any player have been content to be in the 26 named squad on game day, they will also be under the pump.

Malachy O’Rourke and Ryan Porter stepping into Tyrone will automatically sharpens any Donegal focus. Add in Paddy Tally’s return to Derry and the fact that Armagh are All-Ireland champions.

There is also the McGuinness factor. This time last year, there was a wall built around their training ground in Convoy.

It was to keep anyone with prying eyes and a loose tongue from seeing what they had up their sleeve. Had their ruthless punishment of roving goalkeepers and hunger on turnovers escaped the long grass, the ambush Derry may not have anywhere near as effective.

There was intrigue about the wall and any siege mentality it fuels inside can only help. The same can be said for their warm weather training camp for the second winter in a row. It rubberstamps them as a serious team.

And, as a county, it filters down. Four Masters made a third Ulster minor final on the trot. The Abbey Vocational School and the South West Donegal MacRory Cup teams represent 25 per cent of the quarter-final lineup in a competition the county never full operated at.

It has got nothing to do with how McGuinness and his side will fair this season, but it is an indicator of where the county wants to sit in the any long-term pecking order.

In terms of Donegal’s championship credentials, they’ll have to defend the Anglo Celt Cup against Derry. The All-Ireland series will follow in due course.

It’s the now that’s more important with Donegal facing Kerry in three weeks’ time in Killarney. They welcome Dublin the week after. Then there is a joust with Armagh. Welcome to the world of Division One football.

It’s hard to imagine Donegal – like any the eight teams – being fanatical about winning the league. They’ll note how Derry struggled to keep their train on the tracks last season after a storming start.

Staying in the top flight will be a target but a challenge for Sam Maguire is where their season is really at.

This is the most open All-Ireland race of all time. Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney hinted as much in his post-game press briefing minutes after leading the Orchard County to their Everest. He said there would be six teams who fancy themselves is beating his side.

Patrick McBrearty. Michael Murphy. Oisín Gallen. Conor O’Donnell. Jamie Brennan. Eoghan McGettigan. Aaron Doherty. Niall O’Donnell.

Eight into six doesn’t go, in terms of an attacking balance. Eight into three doesn’t go in terms of the three men McGuinness will leave up top.

If you throw in Ciarán Thompson, Michael Langan, Murphy, McBrearty and Niall O’Donnell’s threat in kicking two-pointers, the rest of Ireland will be using the early stages of the league to see if Donegal use this to pull opponents out.

Will Sam return to the Hills for a third time? We can’t say with any real conviction. How can we? It’s no longer the Dublin and Kerry monopoly.

We need to see what the league pulls up and if there is a level of ambition to match the tools at their disposal.

There are often the comparisons to being close in 2011 before adding the additional pieces to leave 2012 a magical year. That’s too easy.

Going into 2024 is so, so different. It literally is a whole new ball game but if Donegal’s mental focus is on the money, they are no longer All-Ireland contenders – they are serious contenders.

Michael Murphy isn’t back for another wardrobe of Donegal gear or to run out again at Croke Park.

For Jim McGuiness and Donegal, 2025 will be another search for the treasure island of the semi-final stages. If they can get there, they’ll dig deeper than last year.

NFL target

MAYO and Derry aren’t great examples of what winning the league can do for a season. Back in the top flight, Donegal need to target staying up more than anything else. With a new set of rules coming down the tracks, they will be like every other county – feeling around in the dark.

SFC target

THEY were contenders for Sam Maguire last year and the only thing that changes is that Donegal have nosed themselves into the serious contenders’ category. With five newcomers to their panel, getting to at least the All-Ireland final has to be a very real target.

This week’s Gaelic Lives looks ahead to the All-Ireland semi-finals this weekend and we have Ulster minor winning reaction.