McHugh made his championship debut against Cavan in 1990.[1] He played against Armagh in the 1990 Ulster final, won by Donegal.[2]
A member of Donegal's 1992All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning team, he played for the county from 1990 until 1996. He played as a forward and started at left half forward in the 1992 All-Ireland Final, scoring a point from play as Donegal defeated Dublin by a scoreline of 0–18 to 0–14.
His brother Martin was also a member of the 1992 All-Ireland winning team. Martin's sons Ryan and Mark and James's son Eoin have also played for Donegal.[3]
^O'Toole, Fintan (17 January 2013). "Dr McKenna Cup semi-final line-up confirmed while Mayo win in FBD League". The42.ie. Retrieved 17 January 2013. Donegal finally claimed their first win of the season by 1-14 to 2-10 against St Mary's in Ballybofey tonight. Manager Jim McGuinness continued to experiment with Eoin McHugh, son of former All-Ireland winner James, amongst those handed a debut.