Donegal SFC final postponed until October 7th over coronavirus concerns

Kilcar panel member tested positive while players from both panels are in self-isolation

The Donegal SFC Final will now go ahead in Ballybofey on Wednesday, October 7th. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho
The Donegal SFC Final will now go ahead in Ballybofey on Wednesday, October 7th. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho

The Donegal SFC final between Naomh Conaill and Kilcar has been put postponed from next Sunday and will now go ahead in Ballybofey on Wednesday, October 7th.

The Donegal Competitions Controls Committee (CCC) made the decision after a meeting via Zoom on Tuesday afternoon and decided to postponed the fixture .

Kilcar confirmed on Monday that a member of their panel had returned a positive Covid-19 test and ceased activities as a precautionary measure.

A member of the Donegal senior squad tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. The rest of the county panel went into self-isolation – including the eight players from the two county finalists.

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Naomh Conaill players Ciarán Thompson, Eoghan McGettigan, Ethan O’Donnell and Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí are members of the Donegal squad as are Patrick McBrearty, Ryan McHugh, Eoin McHugh and Andrew McClean of Kilcar.

The Donegal players are set to be tested again this Friday and will have to await those results before getting the green light to participate in training or matches.

Initially, the CCC decided on Monday that the final remain on as planned, but added the caveat that the game ‘could’ be postponed were further positive cases to come to light.

The Kilcar executive met on Monday night, but held their counsel in advance of a further meeting of the fixtures body on Tuesday afternoon. It is understood that Kilcar wrote to the county board to outline their concerns.

In the last nine days, there have been 140 new cases of Covid-19 in Donegal – just shy of 20 per cent of the total number in the county since the outbreak.