Ryan McHugh
Ryan McHugh (born 11 April 1994) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Cill Chartha and the Donegal county team. He is the brother of Mark and the son of Martin. A former county minor, McHugh propelled himself onto the national stage in 2014 with a 2–2 blitz of reigning All-Ireland champions Dublin in their live televised semi-final meeting at Croke Park. Early life and family McHugh was reared in Bavin, in south-west Donegal. He is the son of Patrice and the brother of Rachel. He is also the son of Martin, the BBC television analyst and 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner. His son Mark, Ryan's older brother, is also an All-Ireland SFC winner with Donegal. Ryan McHugh's uncle James also played in the 1992 All-Ireland Final and received an All Star in 1992. His cousin Eoin is James's son. Playing career Club With his club Cill Chartha, McHugh won the 2012 Donegal Minor Football Championship as team captain. He scored one point in the final. He also won the 2017 Donegal Senior Football Championship, scoring a point in 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. Inter-county Underage McHugh won an All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championship and captained the 2012 Donegal minor team. He played in the under-21 team that lost to Cavan in the 2013 Ulster final, though had been troubled by a calf injury beforehand. He also played on the under-21 team that lost to Cavan in the 2014 Ulster final. He played in the 2015 Ulster Under-21 Football Championship final loss to Tyrone. Jim McGuinness: 2012–14 Jim McGuinness drafted McHugh into his senior squad ahead of the 2013 season, with Donegal the defending All-Ireland champions. Colm Keys of the Irish Independent named him as the third of his "ten young guns aiming to fire in the league" ahead of the 2013 National Football League. McHugh made his senior competitive debut in a home game against Down in the 2013 National Football League on 9 February 2013. He made his senior championship debut against Down as well later that year in June. Photographs of him appeared in the media the following day. McHugh won his first Ulster Senior Football Championship in 2014, scoring one point as Donegal defeated Monaghan in the final. McHugh propelled himself onto the national stage with a 2–2 blitz of All-Ireland champions Dublin in the 2014 semi-final meeting at Croke Park on 31 August. Man of the match in that game, McHugh described himself as "fortunate" to have scored his two goals. His brother Mark left him to the bus that morning, then sat by "and watched as [Ryan McHugh] became a household name in one afternoon". Donegal qualified for the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final but lost to Kerry by a single score, with Colm McFadden striking the goalpost to the left of goalkeeper Brian Kelly in the third minute