The Donegal Junior Football Championship (abbreviated as Donegal JFC) is an annual football competition organised by Donegal GAA.
Carndonagh won the 2025 decider defeating Letterkenny Gaels in the Final.
History The competition has been won by 42 clubs, 24 of which have won it more than once. Castlefinn Robert Emmet's are the most successful club with seven titles to their credit.
Donegal senior footballer Marty Carlin scored 0–10 against Cill Chartha in the 1981 Donegal JFC final. Other men to have won this competition and to have played at senior level for their county include Caolan McColgan, with his 2024 title added to the Ulster Senior Football Championship medal he won with Donegal earlier that year.
Donegal county team manager Declan Bonner brought national attention to the competition when he lined out for his club Na Rossa in 2019, notably making saves while playing as goalkeeper when his team's regular goalkeeper transferred to New York.
Honours The winning club receives the Dr McCloskey Cup. The winning club is promoted to the Donegal Intermediate Football Championship for the following season.
The Donegal JFC winner qualifies for the Ulster Junior Club Football Championship. It is the only team from County Donegal to qualify for this competition. The Donegal JFC winner may enter the Ulster Junior Club Football Championship at either the preliminary round or the quarter-final stage. It often does well there, with the likes of Naomh Colmcille and Red Hugh's among the clubs from Donegal to win at least one Ulster Championship after winning the Donegal Junior Football Championship.
The Donegal JFC winner — by winning the Ulster Junior Club Football Championship — may qualify for the All-Ireland Junior 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. This is what happened to Naomh Pádraig Uisce Chaoin in the 2024–25 All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship. The club defeated Tara in the quarter-final in London, then defeated Kilmurry of Cork on penalties in the semi-final, before losing the final at Croke Park.
Winners and finalists Results by team +Results by team # Team Wins Years won Last final lost 1 Castlefinn / Robert Emmet's 7 1945, 1951, 1954, 1956, 1961, 1987, 2002 20082 Convoy6 1941, 1942, 1963, 1995, 2005, 2020 1992 Na Dúnaibh 1948, 1957, 1977, 2012, 2016, 2021 2020 3 Urris 5 1979, 1989, 1999, 2001, 2014 2018 4 Milford 4 1990, 2000, 2004, 2013 2012 Carndonagh 1950, 1952, 2008, 2025 2024 5 Erin's Hope (Stranorlar) 3 1932, 1944, 1955 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 1938, 1939, 1959 1974 Donegal Town / Four Masters 1943, 1965, 1975 1968 Killygordon / Red Hugh's 1946, 1981, 2018 2017 St Naul's 1962, 1972, 1984 1954 Naomh Bríd 1986, 2003, 2006 2002 Naomh Colmcille 1994, 2010, 2017 1998 6 Glenties 2 1933, 1964 1963 Na Rossa 1982, 2023 2006 Dunkineely/Naomh Ultan 1936, 2015 2014 Bundoran 1960, 1966 1970 Ard an Rátha 1967, 1970 1980 Cill Chartha 1971, 1993 1989 St Michael's 1983, 1992 1971 Gaeil Fhánada 1985, 1997 1993 Buncrana 1988, 2019 Naomh Muire 1991, 2007 2004 Moville 1996, 2009 2023 7 Rosses Rovers 1 1934 Letterkenny Gaels 2022 2025 Gaoth Dobhair 1935 1982 An Clochán Liath 1937 1950 Dún Líonáin 1940 1943 Corlea 1947 1946 Liscooly 1949 Inch 1958 1966 Mulroy Gaels 1968 Ranafast 1969 Termon 1973 1978 Naomh Columba 1974 1973 Na Cealla Beaga 1976 1975 Glenfin 1978 1977 St Eunan's 1980 1988 Malin 1998 1996 Burt 2011 Naomh Pádraig Uisce Chaoin 2024 2016
Finals listed by year Year Winner Score Opponent Score Winning captain Man of the match Winning manager 1932 Erin's Hope (Stranorlar) 1-2 Glenties 0-4 1933 Glenties 0-2 Townawilly 0-1 1934 Rosses Rovers 1-6 Donegal Town 0-0 1935 Gaoth Dobhair 4-3 Ard an Rátha 0-11 1936 Dunkineely 3-5 Letterkenny 1-0 1937 An Clochán Liath 3-2 Cashelard 1-0 1938 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 2-3 Downstrands 0-5 1939 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 1-5 Castlefinn 0-5 1940 Dún LíonáinDún Líonáin or Fort Leenan were an army side based in the Carrigans area - http://www.hoganstand.com/county/donegal/article/index/240661 4-1 Downstrands 2-4 1941 Convoy 1-6 Belleek 0-4 1942 Convoy 2-7 Kindrum 1-4 1943 Donegal Town 2-4 Dún Líonáin 1-6 1944 Erin's Hope (Stranorlar) 2-4 Bundoran 1-3 1945 Castlefinn 1-8 Corlea 0-5 1946 Killygordon 2-6 Corlea 0-3 1947 Corlea 5-5 Na Dúnaibh 0-2 1948 Na Dúnaibh 3-5 Cill Chartha 1-3 1949 Liscooly 1-6 Glenties 0-7 1950 Carndonagh 1-6 An Clochán Liath 1-2 1951 Castlefinn 2-5 St Naul's 1-4 1952 Carndonagh 2-7 Four Masters 1-0 1953 Pettigo 3-3 St Michael's 3-2 1954 Castlefinn St Naul's 1955 Erin's Hope (Stranorlar) 2-12 Na Dúnaibh 0-1 1956 Castlefinn 2-6 Bundoran 1-4 1957 Na Dúnaibh 4-7 Letterkenny Lámh Dearg 3-2 1958 Inch 1-6 Bundoran 0-4 1959 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 4-7 Crossroads 0-2 1960 Bundoran 4-7 Na Dúnaibh 1-1 1961 Castlefinn 4-6 Creeslough 2-4 1962 St Naul's 5-4 Creeslough 1-3 1963 Convoy 2-7 Glenties 1-6 1964 Glenties 1-9 Castlefinn 0-3 1965 Four Masters 2-4 Ard an Rátha 1-6 1966 Bundoran 6-6 Inch 1-2 1967 Ard an Rátha 0-7 Convoy 0-5 1968 Mulroy Gaels 2-11 Four Masters 0-5 1969 Ranafast 2-9 St Michael's 0-10 1970 Ard an Rátha 2-8 Bundoran 1-8 1971 Cill Chartha 2-6 St Michael's 0-7 1972 St Naul's 0-9 Naomh Columba 0-7 1973 Termon 0-11 Naomh Columba 0-10 1974 Naomh Columba 1-5 Cloich Cheann Fhaola 0-3 1975 Four Masters 1-8 Na Cealla Beaga 1-6 1976 Na Cealla Beaga 1-11 Termon 1-5 1977 Na Dúnaibh 2-8 Glenfin 1-10 1978 Glenfin 0-10 Termon 0-6 1979 Urris 2-13 Gaoth Dobhair 1-2 1980 St Eunan's 0-13 Ard an Rátha 0-5 1981 Red Hugh's 2-14 Cill Chartha 0-4 1982 Na Rossa 3-4 Gaoth Dobhair B 2-6 1983 St Michael's 1-15 Milford 0-7 1984 St Naul's 1-12 Convoy 2-6 1985 Gaeil Fhánada 3-4 Seán Mac Cumhaills B 0-7 1986 Naomh Bríd 0-9 Robert Emmet's 1-4 1987 Robert Emmet's 1-9 Four Masters 1-3 1988 Buncrana 3-6 St Eunan's B 1-6 1989 Urris 3-7 Cill Chartha B 1-6 1990 Milford 1-8 Convoy 1-6 1991 Naomh Muire 2-13 Naomh Báithín 1-4 1992 St Michael's 2-9 Convoy 0-9 1993 Cill Chartha 2-7 Gaeil Fhánada 0-9 1994 Naomh Colmcille 1-11 Naomh Mura 0-10 1995 Convoy 2-9 Robert Emmet's 0-6 1996 Moville 1-14 Malin 0-10 1997 Gaeil Fhánada 0-16 Naomh Colmcille 0-12 1998 Malin 0-13 Naomh Colmcille 0-9 1999 Urris 2-10 Naomh Pádraig, Lifford 1-5 2000 Milford 0-11 Glenswilly 0-10 2001 Urris 0-10 Robert Emmet's 0-7 2002 Robert Emmet's 1-16 Naomh Bríd 0-10 2003 Naomh Bríd 1-7 Red Hugh's 0-8 2004 Milford 0-13 Naomh Muire 0-12 2005 Convoy 0-10 Naomh Pádraig, Lifford 0-6 2006 Naomh Bríd 2-10 Na Rossa 0-6 2007 Naomh Muire 0-8 Naomh Pádraig, Lifford 0-7 2008 Carndonagh 0-11 Robert Emmet's 0-6 2009 Moville 1-9 Milford 0-10 2010 Naomh Colmcille 0-7 Naomh Pádraig, Muff 0-6 2011 Burt 3-5 Naomh Pádraig, Lifford 1-3 2012 Na Dúnaibh 0-10 Milford 0-5 2013 Milford 2-9 Urris 2-6 2014 Urris 2-9 Naomh Ultan 0-8 Danny Kelly 2015 Naomh Ultan 2-6 Red Hugh's 2-5 2016 Na Dúnaibh 0-11 Naomh Pádraig, Muff 1-7 2017 Naomh Colmcille 2-7 Red Hugh's 0-8 2018 Red Hugh's 4-9 Urris 0-5 2019 Buncrana 2-12 Letterkenny Gaels 2-8 2020 Convoy 3-10 Na Dúnaibh 1-3 2021 Na Dúnaibh 1-9 Letterkenny Gaels 0-3 Ben McNutt Danny McBride 2022 Letterkenny Gaels 0-12 Carndonagh 0-10 Conor Browne Ronan Frain Dougie Corbett 2023 Na Rossa 0-15 Moville 1-10 Daniel Martin Aidan McHugh Declan Bonner 2024 Naomh Pádraig Uisce Chaoin 2-12 Carndonagh 0-8 ? ? Daniel McCauley 2025 Carndonagh 1-16 Letterkenny Gaels 1-12 Darragh Browne Conor O'Donnell Michael O'Donnell
References
Explanatory notes
Further reading
External links Official website of Donegal GAA