By John Fallon

Roscommon joint manager Fergal O'Donnell has paid tribute to midfielder James McDermott for overcoming difficult circumstances on Sunday to line out against Leitrim in the Connacht championship.

The Roscommon Gaels clubman, who only made his championship debut at 28 years of age against New York earlier this month, is engaged to a daughter of former GAA president Joe McDonagh who died on Friday.

MacDara Mac Donncha, the TG4 commentator who is a nephew of the late president, said that McDonagh had last week urged McDermott to go ahead and play the game against Leitrim regardless of what happened.

Hundreds of people attended the funeral mass for Joe McDonagh in Barna in Co Galway yesterday (TUES) before he was laid to rest at Rahoon cemetery.

McDermott, who is engaged to Eilis McDonagh, had a superb match in the middle of the field as Roscommon on Sunday advanced to a Connacht semi-final showdown with Sligo on a 1-21 to 0-11 scoreline.

O'Donnell paid tribute to him, not just for playing the match following the death of his fiancee's father, but for never giving up on the dream of playing senior championship football.

"James McDermott, difficult circumstances, he's engaged to Joe McDonagh's daughter so it was difficult for him to play the game," said O'Donnell.

"Making his home debut at 28, he's a doctor, he's working as a GP and I suppose he's an example to any young person that it's never over.

"He's worked really hard. He wasn't on the panel to start but I thought he did really well because Shane Moran and Donal Wrynn are a good partnership."

McDermott is now poised to make his home championship debut on June 12 at Hyde Park when Roscommon take on Sligo.

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