The 2018 season is going to be a fascinating one for Donegal as they embark on a new era now that Declan Bonner has replaced Rory Gallagher as manager.
Key to their hopes in Ulster and beyond will be Ryan McHugh. But the 2014 All Stars Young Player of the Year has other objectives before 2018 arrives with his club Kilcar facing Monaghan's Scotstown in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship quarter finals this weekend.
He joined Nathan for a chat as that fixture approaches and as the Donegal champions look to make the most of winning a first Donegal title since 1993 alongside brother Mark McHugh and inter-county team-mate Patrick McBrearty.
"It was a long time waiting for Kilcar to win a county championship and the scenes afterwards on the pitch and when we came back into the town with the cup were just phenomenal and they're scenes that will live with me for the rest of my life," he said.
With Crossmaglen having been the dominant club side in Ulster for much of the last two decades and Slaugthneil of Derry also coming to the fore in recent years, Donegal has been one of the counties that has not enjoyed provincial club success. Indeed, only once has a Donegal club side won Ulster and that was back in 1975 in the shape of St Joseph's, with three final defeats since.
Donegal manager Declan Bonner ©INPHO/Presseye/Philip Magowan
"The last team that won it was actually an amalgamation. It was St Joseph's which would have been Bundoran and Ballyshannon the last Donegal team to win it. No Donegal team has really won it as a club on their own which from a Donegal point of view is extremely disappointing," said McHugh.
With a measure of club success already achieved this year, thoughts will eventually turn to reviving Donegal's prospects as an elite force at the top of the inter-county scene under Bonner.
"Looking forward to it when we do get back and looking forward to working with Declan," he said.
More than five years on from Donegal's second All Ireland win and the challenge to catch up with current All Ireland champions Dublin seems daunting.
"It's looking far away at the moment but that's the challenge for Donegal and every other team in Ireland at the minute is to try and bridge that gap between Dublin and the rest. It's hard to see Dublin slowing down," he said.
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