The team last won the Ulster Senior Championship in 1932, but has never won the All-Ireland Senior Championship or the National League.
History
Donegal has three senior and four junior Ulster hurling titles, the last senior win coming in 1932.
Donegal has a residue of pre-GAA hurling. The Burt Hibernians brought Donegal the 1906 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship, defeating Antrim by 25 points to one. Burt later played in Derry. In 1923 Donegal fielded a team of three natives augmented with Gardaí and customs officers from hurling counties to win its second Ulster SHC. When they lined out for the semi-final, wearing blue jerseys against Limerick on a cold, miserable day in Croke Park, numbers were worn by the players for the first time to help the spectators to distinguish them. The team trailed 5–4 to nil at half-time and lost 7–4 to 0–1.
Led by Eamon Campbell, Donegal reached the final of the 2006 Nicky Rackard Cup, the first time the team had achieved this,[2] only to be defeated by Derry.
Ray Durack was manager of the county team from January 2012 until May 2015.[4][5] He led Donegal to the 2013 Nicky Rackard Cup.[6][7][8][9][10] As Nicky Rackard winners, Donegal would have expected to compete in the 2014 Christy Ring Cup.[11] However, due to restructure of the competitions, Donegal were not promoted to the 2014 Christy Ring Cup.[12] Durack then brought the county to Division 2B of the National Hurling League in 2014 (their highest league ranking in team history).[4][13]Ardal McDermott succeeded Durack as manager, serving between 2015 and 2017 and leading the county back to Division 2B of the National Hurling League in 2017 (as Division 3A champions), after the team were relegated the previous year.[14][15]
On 25 October 2017, the county board announced Mickey McCann's appointment as senior manager on a two-year contract, with the possibility of a third year in charge also mentioned.[16][17] The county board had specifically identified him after all candidates nominated for the position were rejected as unsuitable.[18] McCann led Donegal to first competitive victories over Derry and Down in the 2018 National Hurling League.[19][20][21] The 2018 Nicky Rackard Cup followed.[22]
Relegation from 2B to 3A followed in 2019, promotion to 2B followed in 2020.
Donegal defeated Mayo in the 2020 Nicky Rackard Cup Final; in doing so, the county became the first to win the competition on three occasions.[23] However, the 2020 win did not secure passage back to the 2021 Christy Ring Cup, a condition that was not made clear until shortly before the final.[24]
Current panel
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2020)
Recent players include:
2013 captain: Joe Boyle[25]
2014 captain: Joe Boyle[25]
^ ab"Sadness at death of GAA stalwart Eamon Campbell". 7 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022. He devoted his life to the GAA and especially to hurling guiding Donegal to their first Nicky Rackard Cup final in 2006. As well as taking command of the county hurling team, Eamon was a huge driving force behind the Setanta club.
^"Durack ready for action". Hogan Stand. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013. According to manager Ray Durack, the squad has put in a huge effort so far this year in a bid to make up for last year's shortcomings.
^"Donegal 3–20 Roscommon 3–16". RTÉ Sport. 8 June 2013. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2013. Sean McVeigh edged Donegal in front with a 29th-minute goal, but Fallon netted a free to give the Rossies a 2-10 to 1-10 interval lead.
^Craig, Frank (26 November 2020). "McVeigh: Sunday was a special day in Croke Park". Donegal News. p. 58. The one disappointment for [captain Sean] McVeigh and his Donegal teammates is that they will not progress back up to Christy Ring Cup level despite their Championship win last Sunday. He admits there was still some confusion on the matter even right up until late last week. That ambiguity was finally clarified, albeit late in the day.
^ abcMcNulty, Chris (14 February 2014). "Only way is up for Joe Boyle and Donegal hurlers". Donegal News. Retrieved 14 February 2014. Ray Durack hurled in the trenches for Burt in his time. He was appointed as the manager of the Donegal senior hurlers two years ago last month. He hails from Portumna, the hurling country of the Cannings in Galway. Andrew Wallace stepped aside after leading Donegal to the Lory Meagher title in 2011.
^Ferry, Ryan (3 February 2022). "Donegal hurlers step into unknown against London". Donegal News. p. 64. McCann is now in his fifth season with Donegal, and his trusted trainer Gabriel O'Kane, who hails from Ballinascreen in Derry, is back on board. Sean MacCumhaill's clubman Jamesie Donnelly was involved in the management team last year but has now decided to step away. Donnelly hasn't been replaced… [McCann]: 'But we have got a good backroom team there with the likes of Martin McGrath and Anthony Coyle helping out'.
^Regan, Colin (5 August 2005). "Donegal hurling in crisis after shock expulsions". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2005. The team's player-manager, Darren McDermott, who is also a Burt man, last night described the timing of the county board's decision as 'beyond belief'.
^Gillen, Katie (9 June 2022). "'He brought humour and smiles to faces' — funeral celebrates life of Eamon Campbell". Retrieved 9 June 2022. The former Donegal senior hurling manager passed away peacefully on Tuesday the 7th of June, surrounded by his family… Eamon held the role of manager of the senior Donegal hurling team from 2006 until 2009, when he guided them to their first Nicky Rackard Final in 2006.
^"Sad passing of former Donegal county hurling manager Eamon Campbell". Donegal News. 9 June 2022. p. 61.
^"Durack ready for action". Hogan Stand. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013. According to manager Ray Durack, the squad has put in a huge effort so far this year in a bid to make up for last year's shortcomings.
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