In a repeat of last year's Ulster final, defending champions Donegal set up a meeting with All-Ireland Champions Armagh with their semi-final against Down in Clones going according to the script.
It was a six-point win in the end and while Down had their chances, the sense was that Donegal always had the measure of the Mourne side.
A first half goal proved decisive in this semi-final with Donegal pulling away after that and Down just unable to catch up.
Down will rue a messed up goal chance 16 minutes in, with Donegal decisive with their chances and hitting the net seconds later.
That was the pattern of the first half, with the Mournemen slowing the pace of the game down when in possession in Donegal's half, while their opponents were faster and more confident on the ball.
The scoreboard was tight in the opening stages, with traded points between Eugene Branagan for Down opening the scoring and Conor O'Donnell replying.
Pat Havern and Miceal Rooney had Conor Laverty's side 0-3 to 0-1 in front after 10 minutes but Donegal were only finding their feet and a fisted point by Oisin Gallen followed by the first two-pointer of the game from a Patrick McBrearty free put Jim McGuinness' side in front for the first time in the game.
Danny Magill levelled proceedings at 0-4 apiece but then the aforementioned hesitation denied the Mourne side a maximum. A lovely low ball from Branagan found John McGeough to the right of goal who had a gilt-edged chance to either palm into the net or over the bar. Instead, he botched a pass to the far post and ended up with nothing.
Michael Murphy pointed at the other end but when James Guinness hit a wide for Down one of Shaun Patton's lethal kick-outs led to the Donegal goal. They swifltly moved the ball down the field through Gallen and Michael Langan who passed smoothly on to McBrearty and he finished to the net.
Havern made it a three-point game 1-05 to 0-05 from a free but with that Donegal pulled away putting three on the board through Ryan McHugh and another two-pointer from Daoire O'Baoill.
Down could only manage two more points in the half to Donegal's four to put eight between the teams, 1-12 to 0-07 at the break.
Donegal held the ball up for long spells in the second half, with their opponents chasing scores.
Conor O'Donnell nabbed the first point of the half to increase their lead to nine and while Down responded well with Havern raising their first orange flag from a free and Branagan tagging on a point, three quick-fire scores from Donegal kept the margin intact.
Down kept plugging away, hitting the next three, and a pair of two point frees traded between Michael Langan and Havern made it 1-18 to 0-16.
Two top class saves from Down keeper Ronan Burns denied Donegal a bigger tally but some fluffed chances at the other end that could have turned things around for Down never transpired as they had the previous week against Fermanagh and Donegal ran out worthy 1-19 to 0-16 winners.
Down: R Burns; P McCarthy, P Fegan, C Doherty; R Magill, P Laverty, M Rooney (0-01); D Guinness (0-01), R McEvoy (0-01); D Magill (0-02), O Murdock, E Branagan (0-03); J Guinness, P Havern (0-08, 2f, 1tpf, 1tp), J McGeough
Subs: C Mooney for J Guinness (43), S Millar for R Magill (49), F McElroy for McCarthy (54) for McGeough (57), A Crimmins for McEvoy (62)
Donegal: S Patton (0-01,'45); F Roarty, B McCole, P Morgan; R McHugh (0-01), S McMenamin, C Moore (0-01); O Gallen (0-01), M Langan (0-02 1tpf); D O'Baoill (0-03, 1tp), C Thompson, S O'Donnell; P McBrearty (1-04, 1tpf, 2f), M Murphy (0-03. 1'45), C O'Donnell (0-02)
Subs: J Brennan (0-01) for Langan (Blood sub 30), Langan for Brennan (h-t), Brennan for Murphy (45), J Magee for Gallen (49), O MacPaidin O'Ferraigh for Roarty (51), N O'Donnell for McBrearty (54), A Doherty for C O'Donnell (57)
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
