Ryan McHugh and Oisín Gallen netted the goals as Jim McGuinness’s men were first in Group 3 since Tyrone defeated Cork.
They had 24 points to spare at MacHale Park and were never in trouble.
Simply, Clare were no match for an in-the-mood Donegal.
Emmet McMahon opened the scoring for Clare, but the Banner barely got a sniff after.
McHugh sent a rocket to the Clare net in the fifth minute that seemed to knock the stuffing from his opponents. McHugh picked up an offload from Gallen and the Kilcar man arrowed past Tristan O’Callaghan with real purpose.
Donegal eased through the gears – and the scores – with Mark Curran coming up from corner-back to score his first Championship point.
Gallen curled over a ’45 in the 24th minute and bad almost became worse for Clare when Patrick McBrearty intercepted O’Callaghan’s kick-out. The Donegal skipper teed up Ciaran Thompson, who was content to pop over a point.
McHugh curled over an excellent point just before half-time when Donegal led 1-11 to 0-1.
Gallen held off the advancing O’Callaghan to bag a second Donegal goal after the restart.
Conor O’Donnell returned after a year out to boost the Ulster champions’ attack. O’Donnell was one of 11 Donegal players on the scoresheet
as the Northern side were merciless, reeling off six-in-a-row, a flurry again capped off by McHugh.
By the end, ears and eyes had turned to Tullamore. News that Tyrone beat Cork confirmed Donegal were heading for the last eight.
Scorers – Donegal: O Gallen 1-4 (2 ’45’); R McHugh 1-4; P McBrearty 0-5, (1f); C O’Donnell, C Thompson 0-2 each; P Mogan, M Curran, C Moore, D O Baoill, M Langan, S O’Donnell 0-1 each. Clare: E McMahon 0-4 (3f); Diarmuid O’Donnell 0-1 (1f).
Donegal: S Patton; M Curran, B McCole, E Gallagher; R McHugh, C McGonagle, P Mogan; C Moore, M Langan; S O’Donnell, C Thompson, O Doherty; P McBrearty, O Gallen, N O’Donnell. Subs: C O’Donnell for Curran (h-t), D O Baoill for Doherty (h-t), S McMenamin for Gallagher (42), H McFadden for Langan (50), K McGettigan for Mogan (57).
Clare: T O’Callaghan; M Doherty, C Brennan, R Lanigan; A Sweeney, C Rouine, I Ugweru; B McNamara, M Garry; D Walsh, D Coughlan, G Murray; C Downes, A Griffin, E McMahon. Subs: D O’Donnell for Downes (h-t), D Nagle for Murray (41), J Curran for Walsh (49), S Griffin for A.Griffin (54), C Burke for Ugweru (65)
Referee: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary)
