Hugh McFadden is making the most of things.
Covid-19 has brought everyone down a peg or two but as the Killybegs man says himself, there’s no point in worrying about the uncontrollables.
Yes, county football is a huge miss this time of the year and the lack of clarity has certainly tested players’ levels of motivation, but the 25-year-old was content to train away on his own, and now he’s delighted to get back playing with his club.
“At the end of the day, if you’re a footballer, a proud footballer, you’ll love training and you’ll love competing. It doesn’t bother me the idea of getting out here now for my club for the next few weeks and months. With Donegal, even if there is a risk things will go belly up down the line, I’ll be more than happy just to give it a go,” he says on Monday’s GAA Hour Show.
“Covid has brought a lot of difficult things with it. But one of the magical things is that our younger generation is staying around home. In Killybegs, the numbers are like nothing I’ve seen before, just because of simple things like remote working, colleges being closed and no J1s or holidays. Nobody has anything to do around here except for playing a bit of football! I know for us, we’ve tried to reach out to youngsters who may not have been involved in the team, just to get them back kicking ball. There’s a refreshing attitude around it and we’re all having a bit of craic…”
The way it should be.
A few pictures and a video of the lads at the scarvey this morning. #cycle4livie @McgoniglePaul @SMCphysio @caolanmcgonagle @stephenmcm97 @officialdonegal pic.twitter.com/4VfOHABTz5
— Buncrana GAA (@buncranagaa) July 19, 2020
Indeed, while county football isn’t on the horizon just yet, McFadden on the Donegal footballers are putting their energy to good use in supporting 10 month old Livie Mulhern – one of their own, as McFadden puts it – in her fight against SMA.
The Donegal footballers cycled to 39 clubs around the county to raise funds for young Livie Mulhern on Sunday.
"I'm very proud to be part of the Donegal team that went out of our way to help one of our own" – Hugh McFadden.
You can support Livie here 👇https://t.co/QGwXcuuWhO pic.twitter.com/z1DfIUEQui
— The GAA Hour (@TheGAAHour) July 20, 2020
On Sunday, they set off on a fundraising cycle to 39 clubs around the county and McFadden was delighted to support such a great cause.
“We set off, left from nine different locations around the county. It was probably the most important event we’ve done in years. We stopped off at all the clubs on our routes then. It was a great day and it was great to see so many people from Donegal out to meet us and out to support this great cause. A cause for ten month old Livie Mulhearn who was unfortunately diagnosed with SMA, the same condition as Dan Donoher from the Do It For Dan campaign.
“They’re trying to raise the $2 million that will help her get the treatment in America that will help give her a better life. I’m very proud to be part of the Donegal team that went out of our way to help one of our own you know…”
You can support the cause here.
You can listen to the McFadden interview here.
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