Eoin McHugh

Inter-county McHugh was an "experiment" of Jim McGuinness during the 2013 Dr McKenna Cup, with McGuinness giving him his debut in a defeat of St Mary's at MacCumhaill Park. He continued to play for his county at under-age level. Later the same month, McHugh contracted meningitis, was unable to leave his bed on the morning after playing Fermanagh, and his weight went from eleven to nine stone: "That was pretty much the season gone… I tried to play with Donegal U21s, tried to play with the seniors, but I'd lost that much weight it ruined my season, ruled me out", he was later quoted by The Irish News. In the 2015 National Football League, he was limited to two late substitute appearances against Monaghan and Kerry. He started the fifth fixture against Kerry at Austin Stack Park and contributed 0–4. Donegal qualified for the NFL semi-final. McHugh started this game but was substituted in the second half.

McHugh, having overcome his meningitis, was more involved with his county team in the 2016 season; he started the first four games of the 2016 National Football League, against Down, Cork, Mayo and Kerry. He also started the fifth fixture against Roscommon and scored a point. He then started against Dublin in the sixth fixture at Croke Park. He also scored a point against Monaghan in the seventh fixture but later went off injured. Donegal qualified for the NFL semi-final. McHugh did not play in this game.

McHugh started the final of the 2016 Ulster Senior Football Championship and played most of that game. He had earlier scored two points in the quarter-final against Fermanagh, one point in the semi-final (drawn game) against Monaghan and also played in the semi-final replay. McHugh scored 0–2 in the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier defeat of Cork at Croke Park. He then started against Dublin in the next game, at the same venue. He was awarded an Irish News All Star for his performances during the 2016 season. He scored the winning point in injury time away to Roscommon in the second fixture, a victory which provided his team with their first points of the season. He started the third fixture against Dublin. He started the fourth fixture against Cavan and scored 1–1. He started the fifth fixture against Tyrone and scored 0–1. He did likewise in the sixth fixture against Monaghan. He made a substitute appearance in the seventh fixture against Mayo.

During the 2017 Ulster Senior Football Championship, he made a substitute appearance against Antrim in the quarter-final and played in most of the semi-final defeat to Tyrone. He also started both the 2017 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier defeat of Meath at Páirc Tailteann and the qualifier loss to Galway at Markievicz Park.

McHugh did not play for Donegal in the 2018 season.

He made a late substitute appearance against Meath in the second fixture of the 2019 National Football League, scoring a point. He made another substitute appearance in the fourth fixture against Fermanagh. doing likewise in the fifth fixture against Armagh, the sixth fixture against Cork and the seventh fixture against Kildare. Donegal qualified for the National Football League Division 2 final and McHugh made a substitute appearance in the game as Donegal defeated Meath to win the title.

He did not feature in the final of the 2019 Ulster Senior Football Championship, which Donegal won. However, he featured as a late substitute against Fermanagh in the quarter-final, then started and scored a point in his team's semi-final win over Tyrone. He was one of the few players to receive a first Ulster Senior Football Championship medal and the only non-rookie yet to receive an Ulster medal of any kind (Jason McGee had an Ulster Minor Football Championship medal).

McHugh started Donegal's first three fixtures of the 2020 National Football League against Mayo, Meath and Galway. He made substitute appearances against Dublin and Monaghan in the next two fixtures. Then the COVID-19 pandemic brought play to a halt. Play resumed behind closed doors on 18 October with a home game against Tyrone; McHugh did not feature in that game. He made a substitute appearance in the concluding game of the league campaign, away to Kerry. McHugh made an early substitute appearance in the 2020 Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final victory against Tyrone. He started the semi-final victory against Armagh. He also started the Ulster final against Cavan in what proved to be the season's concluding game for his team.

McHugh made substitute appearances in each of Donegal's first three fixtures of the 2021 National Football League, against Tyrone, Monaghan and Armagh, scoring one point against Monaghan. He started the 2021 National Football League semi-final against Dublin.

Personal life McHugh went to Boston in 2018 aware that he would have a job in marketing at AIB in Dublin when he returned to Ireland. His cousin and (teammate at club and with county) Ryan McHugh also works there.

Honours Donegal Ulster Senior Football Championship: 2019, 2025 National Football League Division 2: 2019

Cill Chartha Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta: 2024 (c) Donegal Senior Football Championship: 2017 Donegal Minor Football Championship: 2012

Donegal Boston Boston Senior Football Championship: 2018

Individual Irish News All Star: 2016 Donegal Minor Football Championship Man of the Match: 2012