Jim McGuinness mind games ahead of Ulster joust?

Jim McGuinness' return to inter-county football was seen as box office, and despite being just a few months into his second stint in charge of Donegal, the former All-Ireland winning manager has been central to a number of early season stories.

Prior to Christmas, one of McGuinness' first acts after returning to the Donegal job was to get new privacy fence around the main training pitch in Convoy.

His first time in charge of the county was known for high levels of secrecy, though the man himself at least could laugh off the hullabaloo over the spending of a reported €50,000 over a fence.

"I’m hoping we can get it triple-secured so the people who put out the stories in Donegal stay out," he told Donegal News. "There’s no moat but there could be an electric fence."

We need your consent to load this YouTube content We use YouTube to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences

In January, there was a more prolonged period in the news after he won his appeal against an eight-week ban for fielding an ineligible player in the McKenna Cup win over Armagh.

Finbarr Roarty - 17 at the time of the clash with the Orchard County - was deemed to be underage for the game following a meeting of Ulster GAA officials.

The initial decision laid the blame at McGuinness' feet for being unaware Roarty was still 17 at the start of 2024, but the hearings committee found the infraction 'not proven' suggesting it may not have been viewed as the manager's responsibility.

That has been forgotten about as Donegal sit alongside Armagh at the top of Division 2 and look set for a swift return to the top-flight.

Speaking after