The broadcast of the game, live on Network Two by RTÉ Sport, featured match commentary provided by Ger Canning and Meath footballer Colm O'Rourke.

[8] The Donegal team had many players who had won the 1982 and 1987 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championships: Paul Carr, Matt Gallagher, Martin McHugh, Joyce McMullan, Sylvester Maguire, Anthony Molloy, Charlie Mulgrew and Donal Reid from the former and Manus Boyle, John Cunningham, John Joe Doherty, Barry McGowan and Tommy Ryan from the latter.

[5] Jim McGuinness, a player on Donegal's panel, later wrote in The Irish Times that the team derived inspiration from boxer Michael Carruth's gold medal fight in the men's welterweight event at the 1992 Summer Olympics, which they all listened to on the radio before a training session one week before the game.

[clarification needed][10] Ahead of the game, the Donegal panel spent a night at Shelbourne Park, where matchboxes and lighters were distributed with the words "Dublin All-Ireland winners '92".

[11] On the morning of the game, the panel attended Mass in Lucan (said by Bishop of Raphoe Séamus Hegarty, who had opted to forgo a planned trip to Rome that coincided with the day).

[27] Tony Boyle's left knee was heavily strapped, a fact which was much remarked upon before the game; this resulted from an injury he had sustained in the Ulster final.

[29] As Sugrue threw the ball in to commence play, RTÉ co-commentator Colm O'Rourke described it as "absolute perfect conditions for a game… the wind has died and the sun has gone in".

[34] Paul Clarke, receiving the ball from Eamon Heery, sent it spinning into the air while attempting to score from distance; Molloy tussled with Vinny Murphy in the effort to retrieve and Sugrue blew his whistle for a free to Dublin.

[42] Bonner delivered the free; Joyce McMullan scrambled amid the Dublin defence James McHugh sent the ball crashing off the crossbar.

[49] But referee Sugrue blew his whistle and awarded a penalty to Dublin after eight minutes for, as RTÉ television commentator Ger Canning said, "some pushing on Farrell".

[57] Goalkeeper Gary Walsh struck the ball outfield; it reached Manus Boyle but (as Canning called it, "still struggling to make an impact") all he could do was give Donegal their third wide with eleven minutes gone.

[75] Then Vinny Murphy handed the ball to Donegal's Matt Gallagher, who passed along the sideline to Bonner, who passed to Molloy, who ran inside and released Martin McHugh, who ran through the Dublin defence, saw off four Dublin players, sent the ball over the bar for his second point of the game and brought his team level again.

[85] Martin McHugh kicked Donegal's eleventh wide, as his scapular broke through his jersey and flapped loosely in the breeze (erroneously referred to by O'Rourke as "his Miraculous Medal").

[87] Vinny Murphy was forced by Matt Gallagher to attempt a point from distance; Walsh simply caught the ball.

[90] Three and a half minutes away from half-time, Manus Boyle collected a free delivered by Brian Murray, turned to his right and sent it over the bar for his third point and, in doing so, restoring Donegal's three-point lead.

[101] Farrell advanced along the sideline and attempted a point for Dublin; Walsh, however, plucked the dropping ball as it flew towards the crossbar.

[106][107] Murray was then seen lying on his back in some discomfort with his left (unstrapped) leg in the air, as the Donegal medical team arrived to tend to him.

[117] Walsh resorted to donning a white cap with the logo of a German clothing manufacturer on it, as the sun began to affect his vision.

[131] Redmond, through again, lost the ball to a challenge from Walsh; Vinny Murphy collected and, as two Donegal defenders leaped towards him, struck Dublin's seventh wide from close range.

[134] A pile-up in the midfield led Sugrue to award the free to Donegal with twelve minutes remaining; Gavigan kicked it towards Tony Boyle, who lost possession in a challenge from Paul Clarke, but Manus Boyle retrieved the ball, saw off the attention of Mick Deegan and scored his seventh point of the game (Donegal 0–15 to Dublin 0–9).

[137] Murphy scored the next point with just over eight minutes left after Sheedy passed to Tommy Carr, the Dublin captain, in an advanced position.

[146] From Walsh's kick-out, Cunningham fetched the ball in the middle of the field, only to be knocked of balance by Paul Curran; Manus Boyle retrieved possession and sent Martin McHugh on a run up the sideline pursued by Keith Barr; the ball found Declan Bonner whose shot went askew and O'Leary made the catch, though Tony Boyle tumbled into him and knocked him over the end-line for a foul.

[150] Walsh's kick-out went to Cunningham, who passed to Bonner, who fell after being interfered with by a Dublin player as Sugrue was seen with his whistle to his lips.

[153] Donegal captain Anthony Molloy climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand to various congratulatory gestures from nearby supporters: handshakes, back claps and pats on the head of hair that he still had.

"[163] The camera zoomed out to reveal Daniel O'Donnell, not far from Molloy and behind the President of Ireland, with his hand aloft and frantically waving with an enormous smile upon his face; a lady behind him bearing a Donegal flag leaned over and spoke to him and he kissed her.

[168] Then he referred to team manager McEniff as "the greatest man in Ulster at the moment", drawing wild cheers from the audience.

[175] 27 years later, Molloy stood for the Fianna Fáil political party in the Glenties Electoral Area at the 2019 Donegal County Council election and won a seat.

[180] The winning team boarded the train westwards, trundling through the midlands towards the wilderness of Sligo, intent on embarking from there by coach bound for Donegal Town.

[149] However, crowds gathered at train-stops in Kildare, Meath, Westmeath, Longford, Leitrim and Sligo to gawk in awe at the team that had put Dublin to the sword.

[183] Donegal's march to the title was still regarded nationally as an "almost mystical expedition", all those years later,[184] until the arrival of the yet more enigmatic and impressive Jim McGuinness, who surpassed even this achievement.