SHANE O’DONNELL had to see the proof for himself before accepting the return of the man with an idol’s reputation was more than idle speculation.
The St Eunan’s star was preparing for an Ulster Club SFC clash with Errigal Ciarán last winter when claims that Michael Murphy was set to end his inter-county retirement began to emerge through the grapevine.
Having been convinced that it was too good to be true, O’Donnell, 23, was elated to encounter the three-time All-Star forward when he linked back up with the Donegal panel following the conclusion of his club commitments.
He recalled: “There were rumours going about.
“It was a closed camp and I didn’t actually believe it until I’d seen it with my own eyes when I got back there.
“It’s good to have him back. He’s a great man and he’s a great ambassador for Donegal.”
O’Donnell’s first season with Donegal looked set to be icon Murphy’s last as the Glenswilly man stepped away at the end of 2022.
Yet despite the two-year hiatus, he has picked up where he left off.
Murphy, 35, was a key figure as Jim McGuinness’ men retained their Ulster title.
He continued to play a starring role during the All-Ireland group stage and collected the man-of-the-match award after Sunday’s win over Mayo.
O’Donnell said: “When you were in the club championship and he was playing with Glenswilly, they were flying with him there and he was performing well in all those games.
“I kind of had a fair idea that he would’ve settled in well whenever he came back — probably not as well as what he’s doing at the minute.
“He’s performing in all the big games for us and he’s coming away with individual awards as well.
“He’s doing very well and I’m very happy for him. There’s no better man to be getting that recognition. He deserves it.
“He’s a bit of an icon in there for a lot of us because there are a lot of young boys there that wouldn’t have played with him beforehand.
“Thankfully I was there for his last year under Declan Bonner and Stephen Rochford so I was able to work with him for a year.
“But there’s a lot of new faces there that wouldn’t have seen him there before.
“I think a lot of us now just kind of idolise him and look up to him.”
Donegal will be hoping for another Murphy masterpiece on Sunday when they host Louth in Ballybofey for their All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final.
A draw was all they needed against Mayo to finish up in second place in Group 1. But they sealed the win with the last kick of the game and dumped the Connacht men out of the Championship.
The hooter sounded just as match-winner Ciarán Moore collected a Shaun Patton kick-out.
O’Donnell was one of several members of the Donegal set-up on the sideline who urged Moore to end the game by kicking the ball out of play.
Having just been replaced by Eoin McHugh, he was ‘fully aware’ that a draw was worth just as much as a win in the overall standings.
But he explained: “It was probably a different story with the boys on the pitch.
“When you’re caught up in those types of games and those types of moments, you’re not thinking about other things.
“There were a lot of people and it was hard to get messages on board with the noise from the supporters.
“I think we were shouting a few things as well but they didn’t hear us.”
WELL DON
Nevertheless, Donegal bagged their first win over Mayo since the 2012 All-Ireland SFC final.
There was also significance in the fact that it was their first Championship victory over a Division 1 team from outside their own province since 2016.
O’Donnell added: “We always find in the last couple of years that we do well against Ulster teams.
“And maybe when we go outside of it, it’s not the same.
“I suppose for us, we haven’t beaten Mayo in a long time — not that I can think of anyway.
“But it was just nice to get that victory over them in the end.”
Donegal footballer Shane O’Donnell poses for a portrait at the national launch of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Series at the Croke Park
