Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Donegal hold off Leitrim to save their senior status in relegation play-off Eva Gallagher starred with 0-9 as Donegal beat Leitrim by six points in Tubbercurry. 6.00pm, 12 Jul 2025 Share options Donegal 2-15 Leitrim 1-12 EVA GALLAGHER WAS in flying form for Donegal at Kilcoyne Park in Tubbercurry on Saturday as the O’Donnell County secured their TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship status with a relegation play-off victory over Leitrim. While Gallagher broke the deadlock with a fine point inside the opening 60 seconds, Leitrim squeezed in front courtesy of unanswered efforts by Muireann Devaney (a late addition to the starting line-up) and Ailbhe Clancy. Yet Kilcar attacker Gallagher soon followed with her second point of the game, and when Katie Dowds fed Susanne White close to goal on nine minutes, the latter fired smoothly into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. Following traded scores between the influential Gallagher and Leah Fox, Donegal stretched six clear when Gallagher, Dowds and Mia Bennett split the uprights in quick succession. However, after Laura O’Dowd (older sister of Dublin midfielder Eilish O’Dowd) cut Leitrim’s deficit in half with a 19th-minute goal, Fox’s second of the day left just two points between the teams. Gallagher (her fifth of the half) and Clancy raised further white flags for their side as the action progressed, before Jodie McFadden fired home a second Donegal major on 24 minutes. This propelled James Daly’s Ulster side towards a 2-7 to 1-5 interval buffer and with Niamh Boyle, White and Bennett all on target, they enjoyed a whirlwind start to the second half. Advertisement Donegal remained in the driving seat after Gallagher and the ever-dangerous Devaney bagged two points apiece at either end of the pitch, but 2024 TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football championship winners Leitrim weren’t prepared to go down without a fight. In the space of eight minutes inside the final-quarter, Jonny Garrity’s side outscored their O’Donnell counterparts by 0-5 to 0-1 – the impressive Devaney bagging four points to compliment a single contribution from Fox. They subsequently received a potential lifeline when Devaney was fouled inside the small square on 58 minutes, but her resulting penalty was saved low by Donegal netminder Clare Friel. This could have been the spark they needed to turn the tide in their favour, but with Gallagher and White knocking over late points for their opponents, Leitrim ultimately couldn’t avoid a return to the intermediate championship for 2026. Scorers for Donegal: E Gallagher 0-9, S White 1-2, J McFadden 1-0, M Bennett 0-2, K Dowds, N Boyle 0-1 each. Scorers for Leitrim: M Devaney 0-7 (6f), L O’Dowd 1-0, L Fox 0-3, A Clancy 0-2 (1f). DONEGAL: C Friel; S McFadden, A Temple Asokuh, S McFeeley; B McLaughlin, E McGinley, C Gillespie; R Rodgers, M Bennett; S White, K Dowds, F McManamon; E Gallagher, J McFadden, N Boyle. Subs: R McColgan for Rodgers (36), A Caulfield for Gillespie (40), E Boyle for McFadden (45), A McGranaghan for Bennett (52). LEITRIM: M Guckian; J Maye, C Tyrrell, E Quigley; D Beirne, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe, A Quinn; A Gilmartin, V Egan, A Clancy; L Fox, M Devaney, L O’Dowd. Subs: S Quinn for Egan (40), C Dolan for A Quinn (46), L McKeon for Quigley (52), E Shanley for Beirne (54). Referee: Philip Conway (Armagh). Daire Walsh Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Donegal hold off Leitrim to save their senior status in relegation play-off”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Donegal hold off Leitrim to save their senior status in relegation play-off”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Gaelic Football News in 60 seconds Portugal v Ireland, Summer Series 11 mins ago Swiatek destroys Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win Wimbledon title in just 57 minutes FreeLilywhites Kildare win Tailteann Cup after repelling Limerick's last-gasp attack Kerry v Tyrone, All-Ireland SFC semi-final FreePodcastRugby Weekly Extra AUNZ 0 - 48 Lions: The tourists come to life FreePodcastThe 42FM How Katie Taylor definitively settled her trilogy against Amanda Serrano 'No one told me about Garry, which was probably a good thing' As it happened Lions v AUNZ Invitational XV, Australia Tour 2025 Katie Taylor defeats Amanda Serrano for third time and ends their rivalry in New York Gavan Casey Reports from Madison Square Garden Kerry v Tyrone, All-Ireland SFC semi-final Freeruled out Farrell confirms Ringrose will miss first Test against Wallabies more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account