Richard Thornton from Coalisland helped train the team in 2017.[2] Thornton took over from former Westmeath footballer Jack Cooney after two years, while Brendan Kilcoyne stayed on as a selector.[3]
2012 All Star Colm McFadden retired at the end of the previous season.[4][5] As did Eamon McGee (though he never won an All Star).[6]
On Valentine's Day, Neil Gallagher attended training at Convoy — it was upon the Convoy turf that he broke down for the final time and relinquished his status as an inter-county footballer.[12] The manager later described him as "very disappointed… He wanted to give it a go… He got the back re-scanned and tried to build it up".[12] He announced his retirement from inter-county football at the age of 33 on 20 February 2017.[13]
Paul Geaney 2-4 (0-2 frees), James O’Donoghue 0-3, Jack Savage 0-3 (0-1 free), Donnchadh Walsh 0-2, Tom O’Sullivan, David Moran, Jonathan Lyne, Paul Murphy and Jack Barry 0-1 each.
The draw for the 2017 Ulster Senior Football Championship took place in Dublin in mid-October 2016.[15] In the quarter-final victory against Antrim, four players had their first championship starts (Jamie Brennan, Michael Carroll, Jason McGee and Caolan Ward).[16]
M Murphy 0-6 (5f), P McBrearty 1-2 (2f), J Brennan 1-1, C Thompson 0-4 (3f), P McGrath 1-0, M Langan 0-2, H McFadden, K Lacey, F McGlynn, M McHugh 0-1 each
Johnny Heaney 2-2, Sean Armstrong 0-6 (4f), Liam Silke 1-0 (pen), Danny Cummins 1-0, Gary O’Donnell 0-2, Shane Walsh 0-1, Paul Conroy 0-1, Ian Burke 0-1, Damien Comer 0-1, Eamonn Brannigan 0-2, Michael Daly 0-1
^Ferry, Ryan (12 August 2021). "Ethan eager to play final". Donegal News. p. 67. O'Donnell heads into the county final after a breakthrough season with the Donegal seniors. He was involved with the Donegal panel in 2017 and 2020, but found his game time limited. However, he came on in the first league match against Tyrone this year, and ended up featuring in five of the seven games that the county side played… 'Peadar Mogan got injured before the Dublin match and I got my wee break then'... O'Donnell started against Dublin in the league semi-final, and he was thrown in from the off against Derry in the Ulster quarter-final. Further details in the print edition.
^Craig, Frank (10 September 2020). "Naomh Conaill face a tough St Eunan's test". Donegal News. p. 68. Opposite number Thornton, a Coalisland native, is into his third year now with the St Eunan's senior footballers. The first of those, 2018, was as assistant to Maxi Curran. He stepped up to the helm last season… He was no stranger to the local scene here in the county, even before then, having helped out as Donegal trainer under Rory Gallagher back in 2017.
^ abcKeys, Colm (4 January 2017). "Only six new inter-county gaelic football managers in 2017". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 January 2017. Rory Gallagher extended his term for a further three years with the option of serving a fourth and has a new coach in former Tyrone All-Ireland U-21 winner Richard Thornton, who comes highly regarded. He replaces former Westmeath footballer Jack Cooney after two years with Gallagher. Brendan Kilcoyne continues as a selector.
^Watters, Andy (15 December 2020). "A level playing field? Donegal coach Paul Fisher laments lack of resources in quest to close gap on Dublin". The Irish News. Retrieved 15 December 2020. But Paul Fisher, the man who has overseen that programme for the last six years has reluctantly decided that it is time to move on. With a gym to run, a family to support and a Masters to complete, the Letterkenny native has stepped down after playing a vital role in the successes of managers Jim McGuinness, Rory Gallagher and Declan Bonner.
