Football on the Wild Atlantic Way — Football Case Study

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Dispatch: a series dedicated to immersive storytelling, where our photographers and writers journey to chosen places, combining evocative imagery with long-form editorials to uncover and share unique football cultures.

Football on the Wild Atlantic Way

Words and Photography by Ryan O’Donnell

September 24, 2025

COUNTRY DONEGAL, Ireland — In the very north west of the Island of Ireland, 180 miles from the hustle of Dublin, you'll find County Donegal. A region often referred to as the forgotten county of Ireland. Where, despite its northern placement, in 1921 the British Government decided not to partition it into Northern Ireland due to its heavily Catholic and Nationalist population, leaving Donegal politically attached to the Republic of Ireland, while being cut off by the Border of the North. That sense of being on the margins, distant from both Dublin and Belfast and left to face the, often harsh, weather system from the Atlantic Ocean has shaped Donegal’s identity. It is unique, proud, resilient, and fiercely connected to its traditions.

In true Irish fashion, the ratio of pubs to the population seems incredibly out of line and there's more than enough Guinness to go around. The white sand beaches rival those of the Caribbean and the airport has repeatably been named the most beautiful in the world. There is a magical feel to the county, where time moves gently and Irish remains the first language for many.

I grew up visiting the north west of Ireland often as it's where my family originate from and many of them still live. It feels like home to me however, I can only imagine how different my life may have been if my grandfather had not left for Scotland as a teenager during the war. One of many who crossed the water to find work and eventually set up life in Edinburgh. Like so many emigrants, his ties to home were carried through football. Glasgow Celtic and Hibernian FC in Edinburgh still hold this Irish identity and continue to thrive to this day.

Despite the rural and rugged nature of Donegal, one thing continues to flourish.

Sport.

The county's landscape is littered with Gaelic Football and 'Soccer' pitches. It feels that every small village has a feeder club to Donegal GAA, who just missed out on last year's all Ireland trophy in Gaelic Football, and a local football club. It continues to amaze me the amount of clubs that continue to survive and grow despite the low population. The locals continue to follow Celtic and Hibernian games from the pub with their neighbours while others make the 10 hour journeys to Scotland for games, sport provides a lifeline for many of the people that reside here.

Despite the abundance of sport, following the relegation of Finn Harps FC in 2022 there has been a clear absence of a professional football team from Donegal playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. The Donegal Junior League still provides a bright star for those with a love for the beautiful game. There's one club in particular that interests me more than the rest, the oldest and most successful of them all, and the one I have greatest personal connection with.

Keadue Rovers Football Club.

Keadue Rovers FC

As of 2016 Keadue's population was recorded at 154 people. Yet football has seemed to flourish here, played against this backdrop of sea and sky. The club sits on the sidelines of the rugged Atlantic coast, where a misplaced pass might send you for a swim, and provides a lifeline to the small community surrounding it.

Founded in 1896, for almost 130 years Keadue Rovers, a junior level club, has earned its right as part of the landscape of this region. From my grandmother’s house, you could see the club’s pitch, Central Park. As a child I would play football with my father every time we passed, marking the same ground my family had known for generations. My great uncle (middle bottom row) being part of that history when he won the first ever season of the Donegal League in 1953.

Among the names that echo loudest from Keadue’s pitch is that of Packie Bonner. Born just up the road in Cloughglass and raised in this community, Bonner began his footballing life with Keadue Rovers. Long before he became a Republic of Ireland legend, he was a local boy kicking a ball on the same pitch that remains today, cheered on by neighbours.

Bonner signed for Celtic as a teenager, one of the biggest clubs in world football and a club with a real connection to this part of the world. The first turf of grass that was laid at Celtic Park was taken from a field in Mullaghduff just up the road from Keadue. Bonner earned over 80 caps for his country and his defining moment came at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, when his penalty save against Romania carried Ireland to its first-ever quarter-final. For Keadue, that save was not just a sporting triumph but a moment of collective pride. Proof that greatness could spring from their remote rugged corner of the country.

Even today, Bonner’s connection to Keadue remains. He has returned many times to Central Park as his family remain in the local area. His success continues to inspire young players who lace their boots on the same soil, dreaming that their own journeys might begin here too.

Photo Credit: Keadue Rovers

Packie Bonners famous penalty save against Romania in the 1990 World Cup (Photo Credit: Billy Strickland -INPHO)

When I return each year to Annagry, just a short distance away, Keadue is one of the first places I visit. There is something grounding there, something that keeps me coming back, it's unique in it location but it's deeper than that for me. It has an enchanting feel to it, this is football at it's most pure, there's no lights, no cameras (apart from mine), and there's no reason for anyone to play other than for the love of the game and the community it brings to the local people.

Keadue Rovers is not just a football club. It is one of threads that ties scattered people to their place, and for me, each return to that field is a return to family, to belonging, and to the heart of Donegal. Ireland’s forgotten county, but never forgotten by those who call it home. —

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