Kevin Lynch among youth driving Donegal's Naomh Pádraig to All-Ireland final

Michael Bolton

At the age of 19, Kevin Lynch has been crucial for Naomh Pádraig as they prepare for the All-Ireland junior football final this weekend.

The Donegal side defeated Cork's Kilmurry on penalties in the semi-final, with Lynch scoring the equalising point in the final moments of normal time to bring the game to extra time.

Having to dig deep to reach Croke Park, Lynch also had to overcome challenges of his own, as an injury threatened to end his part in Naomh Pádraig's journey.

“The foot has been a bit of a nightmare. I kind of played on with it and then went to get it looked at but didn’t rest it, which just made it worse. It’s been an awkward one to heal, but it’s well healed now.

“It happened three or four weeks before we played the county final, but as we went on, it definitely got worse because I didn’t get it looked at. After the county final, the pain was very bad, so I went and got it checked. I then had a bit of a rest and put it in a boot.

“I missed the Ulster quarter-final and semi-final and didn’t know if I’d be fit for the Ulster final, but I was able to come in at half-time.”

Younger players such as Lynch stepping up as crucial contributors has been a recurring theme for the Donegal side this season.

As the club reaps the rewards of its work at underage levels, the “golden generation” of the team represents a bright future for the community.

While youth is central to the squad’s success, Lynch credits the experienced players who have been a major influence on the side.

“Underage in Muff has been very strong over the past couple of years. Everyone was expecting Muff to be good, but it just didn’t happen because a few players left, and it didn’t carry through to senior.

“We have three or four experienced lads on the bench, and they make up for what’s not on the pitch. Whenever they come on, they give us a lot of experience, and even their final words before we go out are enough to set us off.

“Their experience carries us through, and we really appreciate their influence.

“For us boys who were born in 2005, there are around eight of us who carried through from minor, where we won a county title, and we’ve brought that into senior.

“I think that boosted the team and brought the numbers up. Everyone is fighting for places now, including us.”

It has been a difficult year for the club, which will go into the final with the memory of Evan Craig, who died in September at the age of 24.

While the club celebrated their county and provincial titles, not having Craig among the celebrations has been tough for everyone associated with Naomh Pádraig.

On and off the pitch, Lynch had a connection with Craig and says the desire to honor him has driven the team forward.

“When you go into deep thinking about it, he should be here with us now. He’s here in spirit, but he should be physically here with us.

“I suppose it’s hard to take a positive from any death, but the positive we’re taking is that we’re going to do it for him. He’s carried my ball over the bar or looked after us whenever we’ve needed him. That’s the way we’re thinking, anyway, and we’re confident it’s working.

“Evan was a gentleman. He was quiet and went about his business quietly, but he was good craic too and enjoyed the fun. He would have played inside in the full-forward line with me, and I knew if I didn’t catch a ball, he’d definitely be there to sweep it up.

“It was funny—any ball I dropped, I didn’t even have to look. I knew he’d be there to pick it up. We had a great understanding together.”