Michael Hegarty

Michael Hegarty is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for Cill Chartha and the Donegal county team. He was part of a minor team that nearly qualified for the 1996 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final, and he made 50 championship appearances for Donegal, a team record when set in 2011 that was not exceeded until Colm McFadden made his 51st championship appearance in May 2014. He started Mickey Moran's first game in charge of Donegal in October 2000 and the first game of Brian McEniff's last spell as manager in February 2003, and he played in the 2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final against Armagh. In 2007 he played the full game as Donegal won the county's first National Football League title, beating Mayo in the final. He won the 2011 Ulster Senior Football Championship with Donegal, scoring two points in the final against Derry, and retired at the end of that season.