Finnbarr Roarty: It's been a class season, I've learned so much

The Donegal machine rumbles on to an All-Ireland SFC showdown against Kerry.

It's a repeat of the 2014 decider, which the Kingdom shaded, but Jim McGuinness has moulded a new crop in the quest for glory.

A hungry, athletic side overpowered Meath on Sunday, steamrolling the underdogs in the second half to run out 3-26 to 0-15 winners.

For man of the match Finnbarr Roarty, it was a sweet feeling.

"I don't even know what to say," the 19-year-old told RTÉ Sport afterwards. "It's a class feeling here. We were working for this. Since the start of the year we had one goal and that was to reach the All-Ireland final, so now we have to go with it and give it our all.

"It's good to see every man stepping up, not just one or two. It's the whole 15 in the team. Once you see someone else getting a turnover, or getting a score, getting ahead, it just encourages everybody.

"It's been a class season and I've learned so much. Every game I'm improving and there's boys telling me how to be better."

Paddy McBrearty has been around the block quite a bit longer than his young teammate.

He came off the bench on Sunday to knock over 0-03, and says the culture McGuinness has built bodes well.

McBrearty, now 31, won the Sam Maguire in 2012 and knows what it takes to go all the well. The signs are good.

"We're absolutely delighted in there to be honest," he said. "It's been a long road back for this group, and there's not many in the group that have been here before.

"We're delighted to get over the line today, (against) a really, really good Meath team. We'll enjoy this evening, get back to training Tuesday and look forward to the next two weeks."

On the younger footballers in the squad, McBrearty had plenty of praise.

"They bring intensity anyway," he added. "I'd be marking them in training. They're serious athletes. They're mad to learn, every time they go in to training they're asking Jim the right questons.

"These boys are the future of Donegal football. They're going to carry the torch when some of the rest of this group goes, so Donegal football is in good hands when these boys are around."