Whatever the outcome of Donegal's season after Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Kerry, the Tír Chonaill men have certainly been on a journey in 2025.
Their 11-game odyssey has sparked comparisons with Ulster rivals Tyrone who lifted the Sam Maguire in 2005 after 10 games in a pre round-robin world with replays required against Cavan, Armagh and Dublin.
No replays for Jim McGuinness’ side this year, but being pitted in Ulster’s preliminary round and failing to top their All-Ireland group has added lines to the fixture book, and they’ve overcome all challenges faced since their Tyrone defeat.
Marauding wing-back Ryan McHugh’s 2025 expedition has had some different twists and turns in recent weeks, with the player becoming a father after his wife, Bridget, gave birth to son Senán in the hours after their preliminary quarter-final win over Louth.
With the new arrival – potentially a future footballing addition to the famed McHugh family name – settled, the Kilcar player’s eyes are very much focused on reaching the promised land after such a trek.
"Time will tell, if we win it’s an advantage, if we lose it’s a disadvantage – that's normally the way it goes," he told RTÉ Sport of those long run of games.
"We can't control the systems or we can't control the draws, so we just have to take it on the chin.
"We got drawn in the preliminary round of Ulster this year (v Derry) so that obviously added on an extra match and not topping the group added on an extra match.
"It is what it is and thankfully we came through it all and came through it all with a clean bill of health going into the final, which is massive as well."
There’s been an air of expectancy hanging around this Donegal team all season, a desire to make up for the pain of last year’s semi-final loss to Galway.
It’s hard not to imagine that McHugh has some extra motivation too.
Donegal’s two All-Ireland successes have had had McHughs in the half-forward line – his father Martin in the centre in 1992 and older brother Mark on the right in 2012, the same position his uncle James had taken up 20 years previously.
For Ryan McHugh, his timing has just been out, so far anyway.
His first Donegal senior appearance came in a league match five months after that 2012 All-Ireland triumph.
That came just a matter of weeks after he had starred as Kilcar shocked St Eunan’s in a Donegal minor final, the same week that current boss McGuinness rocked up at Celtic for his new role as a performance consultant at Lennoxtown.
McGuinness was still in the saddle by the time McHugh got to experience All-Ireland final day in 2014, but it would be a day to forget for the now 31-year-old as Kerry triumphed and Kieran Donaghy asked then RTÉ pundit Joe Brolly a now famed question live on air.
Now, 11 years on, and after a year’s hiatus in 2023 before McGuinness’ sensational return at the start of the next season, Kerry again stand between McHugh and joining his family tree of Celtic Crosses.
"We like to think there is," was his response when asked was there more to come from the side despite their semi-final destruction of Meath.
"But it’s a matter of getting that out. We challenge ourselves and push ourselves to get that out every single day so no better time to do it than in the pinnacle of our sport on All-Ireland final day.
"Kerry will be looking to do the exact same thing but we just hope we can get there first.
"As a kid growing up it’s what you dream of.
"I’ve been fortunate enough to be going to matches with my father growing up and then to play for my club Kilcar and to get the opportunity to represent my county is a massive honour.
"To represent them in an All-Ireland final is a huge, huge honour – it's what you dream of and it’s what you want."
If Donegal and McHugh get what they want, then the journey there will have been worth every step.
Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship final, Donegal v Kerry, on Sunday from 2.15pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
