Donegal captain Karen Guthrie says the Tir Chonaill squad have poured their very lives into the quest to win an All-Ireland.
Eleven-times champions Cork stand between Donegal and a place in a first ever senior All-Ireland Senior Ladies final. Saturday’s semi-final will be Donegal’s first at this level – and Guthrie says nothing has been left out as Donegal look to break new ground.
“We sacrifice ten months of the year for it,” the Glenfin midfielder said.
“It is sacrifice away from friends and family. So much time and effort goes into training on your own. It’s not enough to train with the team. You have to do the extra stuff and the competitive edge in the squad means you’ll be left behind if you don’t do it. Everyone has emptied their life into this.
“This year has been a real eye opener. We’d never been exposed to that before. Maxi sets a standard for what he expects of players.”
Donegal face Cork in Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon on Saturday afternoon (2.45pm) and the game brings Donegal face-to-face with one of ladies football’s most formidable challenges.
Guthrie said: “This is a whole new level for us. We looked up to teams like Cork wondering if we’d ever get to that level.
“We have huge respect for Cork. They’re all football and are very direct. A lot of people say that their All-Stars have retired but they’ve been replaced. They’re as strong as they were and they’re definitely vying for an All-Ireland.”
Listen to the full interview below …
