Joanne Doonan is glad she decided to make a return to the Fermanagh fold this year following an extended stint in the southern hemisphere.
Having previously lined out for Carlton during an AFL Women’s season, ultimately uncompleted due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Doonan moved back to Australia in early 2022 having being snapped up by Essendon writes Daire Walsh.
Yet in addition to being delisted by Essendon at the end of their 2023 campaign. Personal circumstances led to Doonan and her partner James McMahon (also a Fermanagh footballer) returning to the Erne County.
Despite having not played for Fermanagh since their TG4 All-Ireland intermediate relegation play-off defeat to Longford on August 28, 2021.
Doonan resumed her inter-county career in a Lidl NFL Division 4 clash with Wicklow in Donagh on January.
Although the league campaign ended in a semi-final reversal to Carlow; Doonan had a pivotal role at centre half-forward when the Erne women claimed an All-Ireland junior title at the expense of Louth in Croke Park earlier this month.
“Its different circumstances that we ended up cutting our time in Australia short” explained Doonan. “My mother-in-law, we found out she was sick, so we ended up coming home”.
“It’s probably one of those things, she ended up passing away earlier in this year and that is why I missed the Ulster final,” added Doonan.
“Sometimes you just look at football and whenever I came home it was definitely an outlet”.
“Something that is consistent in your life and really positive for you in your life” Doonan went on. “I think I definitely had nearly a perspective shift in that it really is an honour”.
Change of circumstance
“I think in a weird way it has just been a massive year. To be able to come home and have something positive about coming home as well too”.
“It has just been really, really special and a special group of girls to get us through all this year as well. It’s not just me, there’s a lot of girls on the team that have things going on in their life this year that we’re doing it for.”
Doonan is now amongst a select group of Fermanagh players to have won three All-Ireland junior ladies football championship crowns.
Indeed, Doonan and Derrygonnelly Harps attacker Eimear Smyth are the only ones in the current Erne set-up to have started their previous successes in 2017, 2020 and 2024.
However, just the 2024 success was secured in Corke Park.
A Doonan goal helped Fermanagh to overcome Derry in a replayed encounter at St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones in 2017. While their 2020 victory over Wicklow took place behind closed doors at Dublin’s Parnell Park.
First Croke Park victory
In fact with four All-Ireland final defeats (two in junior and two in intermediate), the Fermanagh ladies were still searching for a maiden win at Croker heading into this year’s final.
However, with Smyth amassing a superb personal tally of 1-9 against Louth, they finally tasted victory in GAA HQ.
“As much as people say it’s just a field, there’s definitely something special about playing in Croke Park” declared Doonan.
“To get that first win in Croke Park, just to break that idea that we can’t win in Croke Park, I think we were just delighted,” Doonan acknowledged.
“I think everybody that plays Gaelic football, and especially anyone that gets up to county, that is all you dream of. To climb the steps in Croke Park and it was just phenomenal. It was just amazing to be able to do that.”
Succesful manager
While the Fermanagh players hadn’t personally sampled that winning feeling in Croke Park. Manager CJ McGourty had some happy memories in the ground to call upon prior to the first weekend in August.
As well as securing an All-Ireland senior club football title with Naomh Gall in 2010; dual star McGourty also had success there in the small ball code. Wearing the colours of his adopted Tyrone just two-years-ago in a Nicky Rackard Cup final against Roscommon.
“He did speak about the experience and I just think you nearly respect him more when he knows the feeling you’re all having” explained Doonan.
“He’s able to say ‘look it, you will be nervous tomorrow, there will be mistakes’ things like that and it gives you that wee bit of reassurance that it’s normal to feel this way as well”.
“It is definitely easier to take it from someone that has been there themselves. Even as a forward, he’s very good and he’s very specific. You can learn a lot from him in the forward line too.
It has been great to have him to be able to coach us for that as well. He has been a great addition, I have to say.”
