“Commit, focus, believe and achieve.” These four words have served Jim McGuinness well throughout his record-breaking career in gaelic football. As a teen, he helped Donegal bag their first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1992. He went on to win multiple Sigerson Cups in third-level college football, two Railway Cup medals playing for Ulster, and managed his home county to two consecutive Ulster Championships as a young coach.

Last year was the pinnacle, however, when he led Donegal back to the promised land, steering his beloved Tír Conaill Men to their second Sam, after 20 years in the wilderness.
Unveiled as a member of the sport panel for the Arthur Guinness Projects initiative, McGuinness is quick to note how important the word “believe” has been to the Guinness story over the years. Indeed for Jim McGuinness himself, a sense of belief is one of the keys to success. And so he is hoping that, under the Arthur Guinness Projects initiative, initiatives in the sporting arena will be driven by people that share his commitment – and the fortitude in the face of adversity that is the hallmark of long-term winners.
“It’s going to open doors for people that have passion,” says the 40-year-old of Arthur Guinness Projects. “That have very strong ideas about creating a business. That are focused in their projects. That really want to make it happen. Most importantly, I want to see people applying who can show us that they will continue to believe, even when things aren’t going well.
“I think the Arthur Guinness Projects will give people the opportunity to realise that belief. Because it’s a very difficult climate out there. A lot of people are struggling with their finances. Struggling to get projects off the ground. So this really is an olive branch for people to move forward. Create something really positive that will be great for them on an individual level, but also very socially enriching for everybody else as well.”
Widely respected as a man-manager and motivator, McGuinness is convinced of the extraordinary abilities of his fellow countrymen and women. “Ireland over achieves all the time,” he argues, citing conversations with English Premier League players who train with amateur GAA players and are astonished by their athleticism, with one remarking that they’re “the fittest guys I’ve ever seen in my life”.
There is a pragmatic wisdom to the way he looks at the world – reflected in his views on the possibility of professionalism in the GAA.
“Nothing is non negotiable,” he says. “If it came to a point where the values of the association could be protected and the players could get remuneration for the work they are putting in and that model was sustainable – then you’d have to look at it. But it’s a case of chimney pots – and there are just not enough chimney pots in the country to make that happen. If we were living in an environment where there was 10 million or 15 million people in the country...”
As for the six million odd people that currently live on the island, McGuinness’ ambition is to get as many of them involved in sport as possible. “For me, the project is about people,” he says. “My initial thoughts were how exciting the project was and how much good could potentially come from it. I feel in the current economic climate this initiative will give great support to many people in the sport arena – so I’m really looking forward to being involved.”