DAIRE Ó Baoill says the ferocity of training has Donegal well primed for the defence of their Ulster crown.
Donegal begin their Championship quest on Sunday when they go head-to-head with Rory Gallagher’s Fermanagh in a repeat of last year’s Ulster final.
Declan Bonner’s men put the Anglo Celt on the line in Brewster Park (throw-in 2pm), but Ó Baoill believes Donegal’s preparation has them in good tune.
“There is no game to match the intensity between us,” Ó Baoill told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“The poor management will have headaches, sitting down and trying to pick the 15. It’s mad. We did a 15 v 15 and you’ll not get intensity like that. Every man is fighting for a spot.”
Ó Baoill had a busy winter as he was one of the stars of the Gaoth Dobhair team that won Donegal and Ulster titles before their sojourn was ended by Corofin in an All-Ireland semi-final.
He said: “When Gaoth Dobhair finished up, Declan and the management were very good to us. They gave us two weeks off to get the heads and the bodies right.
“They didn’t want us coming in sluggish. If we’d gone in right away, we’d have been maybe a bit half-hearted. We said we were coming in to pick it up and step it up a notch.”
The versatile Ó Baoill and his club colleagues got a wake-up call when they returned. He said: “We were out of breath for the first few weeks trying to keep up with the rest of them.”
Listen to the full interview below …