Donegal face specialists Longford as they begin their wade through the shark-infested waters of the qualifiers next weekend, and to preview it, Eamon McGee looked back on his experience in the back-door in his column today in the Irish Daily Star.
Whereas the likes of Longford thrive in the back-door system, the more regal of GAA counties - like Donegal - rarely savour it, as it means that defeat has already been inflicted in the provincial championship. McGee had little time for the back-door in 2013, having lost the Ulster final against Monaghan in Clones. McGee admits to being roasted by Kieran Hughes, and to deal with the disappointment, he went on the tear.
It was a session punctuated with a different kind of session with Jim McGuinness, which he somehow managed to survive.
The self-pity was still there and I headed straight for the high stool. Couldn't give a shite about football or Donegal.
A recovery session and video analysis had been arranged and my brother and Odhran MacNiallais landed back into the pub to collect me. I collapsed into the back seat as we headed for Letterkenny.
Here I am, someone who was dropped from the panel four times by different managers, heading to training full as a frog.
Somehow I managed to dodge a bullet that day. I do remember Jim staring at me for a minute, and I always wonder if he copped what I'd been up to and figured it wasn't worth the hassle. My eyes were glazed and my speech slurred. I was a mess, but sure enough, I headed to the pub like a gobshite after we finished the video analysis.
It ultimately did not do too much harm: Donegal beat Laois, before being dissected by Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
[Irish Daily Star]
See Also: The GAA Farmer XV
