The Donegal Intermediate Football Championship (abbreviated as Donegal IFC) is an annual football competition organised by Donegal GAA.
Naomh Columba are the current holders, defeating Malin in the 2025 decider.
History The competition has been won by 28 clubs, 13 of which have won it more than once.
Declan Bonner was player-manager of the 1989 winning team. He won the Ulster Senior Football Championship with his county in 1990, followed by another in 1992 and the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship of 1992 as well.
A young Jim McGuinness first came to the attention of then Donegal manager Brian McEniff in the 1990 final.
The most successful team to have emerged from the Donegal IFC in the 21st-century is Glenswilly. They went on to claim several SFC honours for the first time in club history (2011, 2013, 2016). Neil Gallagher, the future National Football League-winning captain and All Star of the 2012 and 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, won the Donegal IFC in 2005.
The 2006 final required two replays before Cloich Cheann Fhaola defeated Gaeil Fhánada.
Initially a straight knock-out competition, a round-robin group stage was introduced in 2013.
With its 2023 title win, Na Dúnaibh became the first club to win the competition on four occasions, having previously done so in 1981, 1988 and 1993. They were joined by CLG An Tearmainn after their defeat of CLG Naomh Columba in 2024.
Men to have won this competition and to have played at senior level for their county include Paddy McConigley (2009), Michael Boyle (2012), Kevin Mulhern (2014), Jamie and Paul Brennan (2015), Frank McGlynn (2018), Stephen Griffin (2019) and Peter Boyle (2020).
Others to have played in this competition and played at senior level for their county include Michael Lynch, Niall McCready and Brian Roper.
Honours The winning club receives the Cathal McLaughlin Memorial Cup. The winning club is promoted to the Donegal Senior Football Championship for the following season.
The Donegal IFC winner qualifies for the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship. It is the only team from County Donegal to qualify for this competition. The Donegal IFC winner may enter the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship at either the preliminary round or the quarter-final stage.
The Donegal IFC winner — by winning the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship — may qualify for the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship, at which it would enter at the semi-final stage, providing it hasn't been drawn to face the British champions in the quarter-finals. The last team from County Donegal to do this was St Michael's in 2004 who went on to reach the final, losing out to Ilen Rovers of Cork.
Winners and finalists Results by team +Results by team # Team Wins Years won Last final lost 1 Na Dúnaibh 4 1981, 1988, 1993, 2023 1978 Termon 1991, 2000, 2012, 2024 2 Réalt na Mara 3 1977, 2010, 2015 2009 Glenfin 1983, 2001, 2018 1997 Naomh Muire 1994, 1998, 2013 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 2006, 2014, 2021 2019 2 Naomh Ultan 2 1984, 2002 1998 An Clochán Liath 1986, 2022 2021 Na Rossa 1989, 1999 2008 Milford 1992, 2017 2016 Buncrana 1995, 2004 2014 Gaeil Fhánada 2007, 2009 2006 St Naul's 2011, 2019 2017 3 Rosses Rovers 1 1978 Na Cealla Beaga 1979 Roger Casements 1980 Urris 1982 Gaoth Dobhair 1985 Naomh Bríd 1987 Naomh Conaill 1990 1986 Four Masters 1996 Carndonagh 1997 2003 St Michael's 2003 2000 Glenswilly 2005 Seán MacCumhaill's 2008 Burt 2016 Aodh Ruadh 2020 2018 Naomh Columba 2025 2024
Finals listed by year Year Winner Score Opponent Score Winning captain Man of the match Winning manager 1977 Réalt na Mara 2-11 Convoy 0-11 1978 Rosses Rovers 0-9 Na Dúnaibh 0-7 1979 Na Cealla Beaga 1-8 Glenfin 0-8 1980 Roger Casements 3-5 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 1-10 1981 Na Dúnaibh 0-13 Glenfin 0-8 1982 Urris 1-5 Red Hughs 0-7 1983 Glenfin 2-10 Na Rossa 2-8 1984 Naomh Ultan 1-5 Cill Chartha 0-5 1985 Gaoth Dobhair 2-8 St Naul's 0-5 1986 An Clochán Liath 0-8 Naomh Conaill 0-6 1987 Naomh Bríd 0-6 St Naul's 0-5 1988 Na Dúnaibh 0-6 St Naul's 0-5 1989 Na Rossa 3-8 Naomh Ultan 2-8 1990 Naomh Conaill 2-12 Réalt na Mara 2-10 1991 Termon 1-15 Réalt na Mara 1-7 1992 Milford 1-12 Naomh Ultan 2-8 1993 Na Dúnaibh 1-13 Na Rossa 0-9 1994 Naomh Muire 0-8 St Naul's 0-3 1995 Buncrana 1-8 St Naul's 1-5 1996 Four Masters 2-15 Carndonagh 1-5 1997 Carndonagh 1-12 Glenfin 1-11 1998 Naomh Muire 1-10 Naomh Ultan 2-6 1999 Na Rossa 1-13 Malin 1-11 2000 Termon 0-16 St Michael's 0-4 2001 Glenfin 1-13 Malin 0-7 2002 Naomh Ultan 2-4 Buncrana 0-8 2003 St Michael's 0-18 Carndonagh 0-5 2004 Buncrana 1-7 St Naul's 0-4 2005 Glenswilly 1-12 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 1-7 2006 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 1-11 Gaeil Fhánada 0-8 2007 Gaeil Fhánada 0-10 Réalt na Mara 1-6 2008 Seán MacCumhaills 0-10 Na Rossa 0-7 2009 Gaeil Fhánada 2-9 Réalt na Mara 1-7 2010 Réalt na Mara 1-8 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 0-9 2011 St Naul's 1-5 Naomh Columba 0-3 2012 Termon 0-11 Aodh Ruadh 1-7 2013 Naomh Muire 1-13 St Naul's 1-7 Paul "Yank" BoyleDanny O'Donnell 2014 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 0-15 Buncrana 0-8 Joe McGarvey 2015 Réalt na Mara 4-17 Naomh Colmcille 0-4 Tommy Hourihan Shane McGowanTeam of the Year Brian Gavigan 2016 Burt 2-11 Milford 1-12 Martin Donaghey Paul McHugh Ronan McLaughlin 2017 Milford 2-11 St Naul's 0-12 Paddy Peoples Gary Merritt Danny O'Donnell 2018 Glenfin 1-10 Aodh Ruadh 0-7 Gerard Ward Gerard Ward Liam Breen 2019 St Naul's 1-10 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 0-10 Stephen Griffin Kevin Mulhern Barry Meehan 2020 Aodh Ruadh 2-14 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 1-12 Johnny Gethins & Nathan Boyle Nathan Boyle Barry Ward 2021 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 3-4 / 1-11 An Clochán Liath 0-13 / 0-5 Mark Harley Jason McGee Michael Lynch 2022 An Clochán Liath 1-8 Naomh Columba 0-4 Conor O'Donnell Darren Curran Dessie Gallagher 2023 Na Dúnaibh 1-11 Malin 0-9 Ben McNutt Johnny McGroddy Kevin 'Cookie' Gallagher 2024"Termon See off Naomh Columba to Land Intermediate Crown." Donegal News, 6 October 2024, https://donegalnews.com/termon-see-off-naomh-columba-to-land-intermediate-crown/. Termon 0-14 Naomh Columba 0-8 Ricky Gallagher Jamie Grant Caolan 'Jaffa' McDaid 2025"Naomh Columba end famine to defeat Malin and win Intermediate title." Donegal Democrat, 5 October 2025, https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa-lgfa/1911623/naomh-columba-end-famine-to-defeat-malin-and-win-intermediate-title.html. Naomh Columba 3-14 Malin 2-9 Pauric Ward and Philip Doherty Padraig Byrne Brendan Doherty
References
Explanatory notes
Further reading
External links Official website of Donegal GAA