Five top forwards take to the stage
Mike Finnerty | 22 May 2025
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Michael Murphy
He’s been described as ‘the best footballer Donegal has ever produced’ by the county’s first All-Ireland winning manager, Brian McEniff, and the living legend showed just why he deserves such high praise in the recent Ulster Final win over Armagh.
Murphy crowned his 184th appearance for Donegal at senior level with a majestic man of the match display and now sets his sights on Tyrone this Saturday evening.
The 35 year-old has racked up 0-11 in four championship games over the last seven weeks and comes into this Ulster derby in flying form.
The prospect of Murphy coming up against a fit-again Paudie Hampsey in Ballybofey is a fascinating prospect.
Patrick McBrearty
The Kilcar sharpshooter lifted the Anglo-Celt Cup in Clones and will now be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Molloy and Michael Murphy in getting his hands on the Sam Maguire Cup later in the summer.
McBrearty’s role in Jim McGuinness’ energy-sapping game-plan seems to have changed this season; the 31 year-old has been replaced in all four games around the 50-minute mark as the ‘closers’ like Conor O’Donnell and Jamie Brennan take the baton for the final quarter.
But McBrearty’s tally of 1-15 (0-10 from frees) in the championship speaks for itself.
He’s a proven performer on the big days.
Daire Ó Baoill
Very few forwards have embraced the art of kicking two-point scores more than the Gaoth Dobhair man.
The stylish wing-forward chipped in with four orange flags during Donegal’s march to their second successive Ulster title, bringing his two-pointer total for the season so far to nine.
In total, Ó Baoill put 1-11 on the board in the provincial series as he continues to make a name for himself as a top-class forward.
Tyrone have been forewarned and no doubt will have somebody earmarked to deny Ó Baoill the time and space he needs to find his sweet spot and pull the trigger.
Darragh Canavan
It’s been a frustrating season so far for the Errigal Ciarán prodigy.
From getting injured early in the All-Ireland club final to missing the Ulster championship opener against Cavan to a frustrating outing against Armagh — with a league campaign to forget for Tyrone sandwiched in the middle — Canavan will be hoping that taking on Donegal at MacCumhaill Park will bring out the best in him.
We only saw glimpses of the 24-year old’s outrageous talent last month as he returned from a hamstring injury, but he will be top of Donegal’s match-up list this week.
If Canavan catches fire then Tyrone have a great chance of upsetting the odds.
Darren McCurry
It will be four weeks this Saturday since ‘Dazzler’ left St Tiernach’s Park in Clones with the man of the match award and a head full of regrets after Tyrone’s buzzer-beater defeat to Armagh in the Ulster semi-final.
McCurry had shot 0-10 and left a string of defenders trailing in his wake at times.
A month later he will arrive in Ballybofey to renew rivalries with some Donegal defenders that need very little introduction to the Edendork man.
McCurry has clipped 0-17 (0-8 from frees) against Cavan and Armagh as he shows the sort of form that won him an All Star and an All-Ireland medal in 2021.
He’s going to take some watching.