Mark McHugh

Mark McHugh (born 22 August 1990) is an Irish Gaelic footballer and coach who plays for Cill Chartha and, formerly, the Donegal county team. He is the brother of Ryan and the son of Martin.

For the rugby player of the same name, see Mark McHugh (rugby union).
Mark McHugh
Personal information
Irish name Marc Mac Aodh
Sport Gaelic football
Position Right Half Forward
Born (1990-08-22) 22 August 1990
Letterkenny, Ireland
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Occupation Account manager with iradio
Club(s)
Years Club
2007–
 Cill Chartha
Club titles
Donegal titles 1
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
2009–2018
 Donegal
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 3
All-Irelands 1
NFL 0
All Stars 1

He won one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (2012) and three Ulster Senior Football Championships (2011, 2012 and 2018) with his county.

Playing career

Club

In his early career, McHugh admitted his club did not have many big games.[1]

He won the 2017 Donegal Senior Football Championship, scoring the opening point in the first minute of the final. It was the first time his club had won the title in 24 years, having been defeated by Glenswilly at the same stage the previous year.[2]

Inter-county

Under-age

McHugh did not play at minor level, what with the Leaving Certificate and a broken collar bone.[1]

He played for Donegal throughout the 2010 Ulster Under-21 Football Championship campaign, a competition which they won and in the final of which McHugh assisted Dermot Molloy in his team's second goal.[3][4] He then played in the final of the 2010 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship, which Donegal (managed by Jim McGuinness) narrowly lost to Dublin (managed by Jim Gavin), though McHugh scored one point in that match.[5]

Senior

McHugh made his senior Championship debut as a substitute against Down in Ballybofey in 2010.[1] Under Jim McGuinness, his former manager at under-21 level, McHugh was part of the team that won the 2011 Ulster Senior Football Championship, and played in the final against Derry.[6][7]

McHugh returned to the Ulster Senior Football Championship Final in 2012 in his third campaign,[8][9][10] winning a second Ulster SFC and scoring two points against Down in the final.[11] then helping Donegal all the way to the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final in which he played.[12] Donegal won.[13] After that game he said, "The woman I'm going to have to marry is going to have to be very, very good to top this day off for me".[14] McHugh sang his wee heart out at the homecoming when he joined in with Rory Gallagher on "Jimmy's Winning Matches".

McHugh won an All Star and attended the Football Tour of New York.[15]

McHugh missed Donegal's 2013 National Football League campaign with a pelvis injury.[16] He returned for the 2013 Ulster Senior Football Championship but was forced off injured early on the final after a collision with Stephen Gollogly of Monaghan, and was hospitalised as a result.[17][18] He was ruled out for a month with the multiple injuries Gollogly's rough play gave him, including concussion, a perforated eardrum and a quad muscle injury.[19]

McHugh made a substitute appearance against Monaghan in the 2014 National Football League Division 2 Final at Croke Park. Three days later, it was confirmed that McHugh was one of four players to have left the Donegal county panel, less than a month before the county's Ulster Championship game against Derry.[20] Later he admitted, "I just needed a break. I wasn't enjoying what I was doing and me being there didn't help the mood in the camp. And I thought its [sic] not good for me being here and it's probably not good for other players so I stepped away. Going away was a decision I made and I knew I wouldn't be in the team if I stepped away. I made that decision."[21] He spent his time away from the team in New York.[22] He thus missed out on the 2014 Ulster Senior Football Championship, which Donegal won.[23] In his absence Donegal also qualified for a second All-Ireland final in three years, with McHugh's brother Ryan helping himself to two goals against Dublin in the semi-final after being left to the bus by Mark, who sat by "and watched as he became a household name in one afternoon".[22] Ahead of the final McHugh the Elder admitted he was "looking forward to [...] rebuilding for next year of myself and the club championship, playing well and hopefully with Jim next year or whoever that may be and ask me back into the panel. [sic]"[21]

With Rory Gallagher having succeeded Jim McGuinness as manager of Donegal, McHugh rejoined the county panel ahead of the 2015 season.[24]

Under the management of Declan Bonner, McHugh made a substitute appearance against Galway in the second fixture of the 2018 National Football League.[25] He started against Dublin in the third game and against Kildare in the fourth game.[26][27] In the fifth game against Tyrone (another start), McHugh scored a point.[28] A further start followed in the sixth game against Monaghan, and a substitute appearance in the seventh game against Mayo.[29][30]

McHugh won his third and final Ulster SFC in 2018, appearing as second half substitute in the final against Fermanagh and scoring a point.[31] He did not return after the winter.[32] Alongside clubmates Ciaran McGinley and Stephen McBrearty, McHugh opted out the Donegal panel for 2019.[33]

Inter-provincial

McHugh has played for Ulster in the Inter-Provincial Series.[34]

Style of play

McHugh's performances in 2012 earned him repeated descriptions of being "Donegal's pivotal player".[35] At his peak, he was considered "as lively a wire as his father Martin was in his heyday",[36] and has been called the "Lionel Messi" of a Donegal team widely said to resemble FC Barcelona in terms of the quality of their style and shock and awe tactics.[37][38] Daniel O'Donnell himself has personally thanked McHugh.[39]

Coaching

He joined the Fermanagh minors as their coach for 2020, saying: "I want to get a wee bit of experience in the coaching and they train in Irvinestown which is as close to me as Letterkenny or Convoy". McHugh had earlier wished to be part of a Gary Duffy-led Donegal under-20 management team; however, Shaun Paul Barrett was instead appointed manager.[40][41]

Personal life

McHugh is the son of Martin, the BBC television analyst and All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner in 1992. He was born the Wednesday after his father's Donegal side were defeated by Meath in the semi-final of the 1990 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.[42]

Mark McHugh's brother, Ryan, also plays for the Donegal team and was playing for the county minors when Mark won the 2012 All-Ireland SFC.[43]

Their uncle, James, also played in the 1992 All-Ireland Final and received an All Star in 1992. James's son Eoin also plays for the Donegal team.

Mark McHugh has a dog called Miley, who has been photographed inside the Sam Maguire Cup.[44] Miley is named after J. R. Ewing's dog from the US TV show Dallas.

Honours
Donegal
Cill Chartha
Individual
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References
  1. ""It's all to play for" – McHugh". Donegal Democrat. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  2. "End result all that matters for Kilcar after final win over Naomh Conaill - Donegal Sport Hub". 15 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  3. McNulty, Chris (7 April 2020). "The diary, the dream and Donegal's first steps to 'the other place'". Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  4. "Ulster U21FC: Murphy leads Donegal to title". Hogan Stand. 8 April 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  5. O'Toole, Fintan (6 April 2013). "Remember the last time that Jim Gavin managed against Jim McGuinness?: The opposing managers in tomorrow's Division 1 league tie in Ballybofey have come face to face before". The42.ie. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  6. "Donegal Ulster Champions: Players hail maestro McGuinness". Donegal Daily. 17 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  7. "Donegal 1–11 Derry 0-08". RTÉ Sport. 17 July 2011. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  8. "What Jim says is all that matters – McHugh". Donegal Democrat. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  9. "McHugh not satisfied with display". Donegal Democrat. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  10. "Donegal's new style untested in stroll past Derry". Irish Independent. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  11. "Ulster Senior Football Final: Donegal 2-18 0-13 Down". BBC Sport. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  12. "Live updates from the All-Ireland finals at Croke Park". RTÉ Sport. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  13. "Donegal 2-11 Mayo 0-13". RTÉ Sport. 23 September 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  14. "Donegal's victory poses problem for prospective wife of Mark McHugh". RTÉ Sport. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  15. McNulty, Chris (13 November 2012). "Replacement All-Star for Thompson". Donegal News. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  16. "Donegal's Mark McHugh set to miss start of National League". RTÉ Sport. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  17. "As it happened: Monaghan v Donegal, Ulster senior football final". The42.ie. 21 July 2013. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  18. Diallo, Raf (22 July 2013). "Mark McHugh a doubt for Donegal qualifier". Newstalk. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  19. "Mark McHugh to miss Laois qualifier after suffering concussion, perforated eardrum". RTÉ Sport. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  20. "Donegal stunned by shock departure of Mark McHugh". BBC Sport. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  21. "Mark McHugh on leaving Donegal's panel, New York travel and supporting brother Ryan: The 2012 All-Ireland winner has no regrets at not being part of the current squad". The42.ie. 12 September 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  22. Boyle, Donnchadh (12 September 2014). "Mark McHugh: I don't regret missing Donegal's season". Irish Independent. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  23. "Donegal reverse 2013 result to claim Ulster football title". The42.ie. 20 July 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  24. "Mark McHugh rejoins the Donegal football squad". Irish Independent. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  25. Foley, Alan (4 February 2018). "Last-gasp Galway snatch victory in Donegal to make it two from two". The42.ie. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  26. O'Brien, Kevin (10 February 2018). "Dublin survive strong Donegal fightback to make it three wins from three". The42.ie. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  27. Campbell, Peter (25 February 2018). "Donegal scrape by 14-man Kildare in relegation dogfight". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  28. Bogue, Declan (10 March 2018). "Two-goal Tyrone move closer to safety with big win over Donegal in Omagh". The42.ie. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  29. Graham, John (18 March 2018). "Monaghan ease past relegation-threatened Donegal". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  30. Gannon, Colm (25 March 2018). "McLoughlin's stunning 74th minute equaliser sees Mayo survive the drop and Donegal suffer relegation". The42.ie. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  31. Mooney, Francis (24 June 2018). "Energetic Donegal end Fermanagh's Ulster title dream". RTÉ Sport. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  32. McNulty, Chris (15 April 2019). "Martin O'Reilly withdraws from Donegal squad". Retrieved 15 April 2019. 2012 All-Ireland winners Mark McHugh and Anthony Thompson did not return for the county this winter...
  33. Craig, Frank (9 August 2019). "Kilcar lay league marker ahead of championship". Donegal News. p. 65.
  34. "Murphy to spearhead Ulster challenge". Hogan Stand. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  35. Keys, Colm (6 August 2012). "Donegal eyes on the big prize: McFadden twists knife as curtain falls on illustrious Kingdom era". Irish Independent. Retrieved 6 August 2012. McHugh is now Donegal's pivotal player, the man whose role has now done most to develop their game from 2011. He worked well as a sweeper around the McGee brothers, who were tasked with minding Donaghy and Colm Cooper, but it was the young Kilcar man's playmaking from those deep positions that really stood out.
  36. Foley, Cliona (3 May 2010). "Murphy penalty agony hands crown to Dublin". Irish Independent. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  37. "Jimmy's like Messi! Donegal are the Barcelona of GAA, say Cork legends". Donegal Daily. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012. Double All-Ireland winner Tony Davis stood by his insistence that Donegal played awful defensive Gaelic football last year. But he has changed his mind now about this year's team – and reckons Donegal play GAA the way Barcelona play soccer! For McHugh, think Messi, he says.
  38. O'Shea, Joe (27 August 2012). "Donegal one step from Sam after 20-year wait". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 August 2012. Cork never really got going. Outnumbered, out-sung and watching a supposedly "negative" team suddenly transform themselves into the FC Barcelona of Gaelic Football, the Rebels were left muttering about "lads who didn't show up" and a manager who, to many of them at least, made some questionable calls...
  39. Keys, Colm (28 August 2012). "Donegal stand united in rise from the ashes: McGuinness evolution based around brains as well as brawn". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 August 2012. In the bowels of the Hogan Stand sometime on Sunday evening last, Daniel O'Donnell, wearing what looked like a retro Donegal jersey, made his way discreetly up to Mark McHugh and expressed gratitude to the young man for what he and his colleagues had done for their county.
  40. "McHugh to coach Fermanagh minors". Hogan Stand. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  41. "Shaun Paul and Luke Barrett appointed Donegal Managers". Highland Radio. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  42. "Legends: Martin McHugh, Part 2". 23 August 2012. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  43. "The 'Wee Man' was big". Donegal Democrat. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  44. "Mark McHugh's pet pooch gets to meet Sam". Donegal Daily. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  45. "Donegal team clean up on Sunday Game Team of the Year". Donegal Daily. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  46. Walsh, Harry (15 November 2017). "Mark McHugh to receive 2017 Séamus Mac Géidigh Award". Donegal News. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
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