The System (Gaelic football)
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In Gaelic football, "The System" (Irish: An Córas[1][2]) is a style of play pioneered by the Donegal senior football team during the 2010s.[3] It is regarded[by whom?] as having caused a revolution in the sport, with establishment counties unable to comprehend it or work out how to deal with it.[4] The System was used during the managerial reign of Jim McGuinness with Donegal, who overcame traditionally stronger counties to win two Ulster Senior Football Championships and one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in the space of two years.
This article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject. (February 2024) |
Donegal's winning of the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was described as "one of the great GAA managerial coups" in history.[4] Prior to this, Donegal had had little success in the Championship since 1992.[5][6] Admirers of "The System" from other sports reportedly included Europe's 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and the soccer manager Neil Lennon.[7]
Joe Brolly said as early as 2011 that "Gaelic football has never seen anything like it."[8] Malachy Clerkin, writing in The Irish Times on 27 December 2012, described Donegal as "the alpha, the omega, and everything in between [...] just a sheer joy to watch".
Donegal didn't just dominate football in winning this year's All-Ireland. They reimagined it. They took a game that had been listing for a few years and made it a thrilling experience. In so doing, they interrupted the decision-making cycle of every team they met. Each game Donegal suited up for this summer was played on their terms, not the opposition's. When you consider the opposition – Cavan, Derry, Tyrone, Down, Kerry, Cork and Mayo – you can't but marvel at the achievement.[9]