Gaelic Games

Two era-defining managers bringing fresh intrigue to intercounty season

Eleven managers are entering their maiden season in charge of a senior county football team – but some old hands are likely to generate the most headlines

The All-Ireland SFC final will take place at Croke Park on July 28th. From the dome to the cathedral. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho
The All-Ireland SFC final will take place at Croke Park on July 28th. From the dome to the cathedral. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho
Gordon Manning's picture
Gordon Manning
Wed Jan 03 2024 - 06:00

And so it begins.

The 2024 intercounty season has thrown-in, the first sliotar was struck in anger under the Bekan Dome on Monday evening while Wexford Park on Tuesday night was the setting for the opening big-ball encounter of the fledgling year.

But Wednesday night feels like the moment it really moves from the festive season to the intercounty one, for that is when the covers get pulled off to provide us with a first glimpse of the new normal – Mickey Harte in charge of Derry and the return of Jim McGuinness to the Donegal sideline. At the dawning of a new year, two era-defining managers bringing all the fresh intrigue.

Harte takes Derry to play Cavan at Breffni Park while Donegal host Armagh in Ballybofey, both round one McKenna Cup matches.

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But while all the fuss might be around Harte and McGuinness, it will be a significant night for several other managers too, including Raymond Galligan who takes charge of Cavan for the first time.

Justin McNulty will begin his second stint as Laois manager on the night when the O’Moore County host Offaly in Portarlington. That O’Byrne Cup game will be Declan Kelly’s first competitive outing as Offaly manager.

Paul Kelly will be taking charge of Tipperary for the first time on Wednesday when they travel to play Kerry in Tralee, while Mark Fitzgerald grabs the reins in Clare for a McGrath Cup game against Cork in Clarecastle.

There are 11 managers entering their maiden season in charge of a senior intercounty football team . Photograph: Ciaran Culligan/Inpho
There are 11 managers entering their maiden season in charge of a senior intercounty football team . Photograph: Ciaran Culligan/Inpho

The managerial merry-go-round has, as ever, been busy in recent months collecting some new faces while dropping others off as county boards weigh up the merits of maintaining continuity or opting for freshness.

There are 11 managers entering their maiden season in charge of a senior intercounty football team – though both McGuinness and McNulty are returning to roles they previously filled. And Harte, although in his first year with Derry, is not exactly inexperienced.

The 11 first-season managers are; McGuinness (Donegal), Harte (Derry), Raymond Galligan (Cavan), McNulty (Laois), Ger Brennan (Louth), Declan Kelly (Offaly), Paul Kelly (Tipperary), Mark Fitzgerald (Clare), Jimmy Lee (Limerick), Paul Shankey (Waterford), Alan O’Mara (New York).

Harte has the longest unbroken managerial record at the top level of the game – he has coached a senior intercounty football team every year since taking on Tyrone in November 2002. He finished with his native county in late 2020 and subsequently managed Louth from 2021-23.

The longest serving manager of any one team is Kieran McGeeney, who in 2024 will be taking charge of Armagh for a 10th consecutive season.

Dessie Farrell (Dublin), Niall Carew (Carlow), Pádraic Joyce (Galway) and Michael Maher (London) are next on the longevity list as they enter their fifth seasons at the helm of their respective teams.

As ever, several counties have appointed outside bosses and of the 33 football managers (including London and New York) for the 2024 season, there will be 14 “outsiders”.

Ulster has the smallest number of outside managers with two, Leinster has the most with five, Munster has three while Connacht has four if you include New York. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Ulster has the smallest number of outside managers with two, Leinster has the most with five, Munster has three while Connacht has four if you include New York. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Of those 14, three are from Dublin – Paddy Christie (Longford), Ger Brennan (Louth), Paul Kelly (Tipperary), and three are from Armagh – Tony McEntee (Sligo), Oisín McConville (Wicklow), McNulty (Laois). McEntee and McConville are also from the same club, Crossmaglen Rangers.

The other outside managers are Carew in Carlow, Harte in Derry, Andy McEntee in Antrim, Andy Moran in Leitrim, Davy Burke in Roscommon, Shankey in Waterford, Fitzgerald in Clare and Cavan’s Alan O’Mara, who was recently appointed as New York boss.

Ulster has the smallest number of outside managers with two, Leinster has the most with five, Munster has three while Connacht has four if you include New York.

John O’Mahony remains the last outside manager to lead a county to Sam Maguire, the Mayo man guiding Galway to All-Ireland glory in 1998 and 2001. Before him only Eugene McGee had managed the feat, with Offaly in 1982.

Of course very few counties have genuine aspirations of finishing the season with Sam Maguire – expectations vary from achieving league promotion to avoiding league relegation, from winning the Tailteann Cup to avoiding the possibility of playing in the Tailteann Cup.

Derry are possibly the only realistic 2024 All-Ireland contender with an outside manager.

In the Leinster SFC, Dublin have been unbeaten now for 13 years so the challenge for the likes of Meath, Kildare and Westmeath is to at least start chipping away at that dominance. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
In the Leinster SFC, Dublin have been unbeaten now for 13 years so the challenge for the likes of Meath, Kildare and Westmeath is to at least start chipping away at that dominance. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

In the Leinster SFC, Dublin have been unbeaten now for 13 years so the challenge for the likes of Meath, Kildare and Westmeath is to at least start chipping away at that dominance. Glenn Ryan remains in charge of Kildare for a third season and has added coach Colm Nally to his backroom team. Dermot Earley has departed the setup due to work commitments with the Defence Forces.

Colm O’Rourke takes charge of Meath for a second season and will be hoping to build on the Tailteann Cup run of 2023. The return of Cian McBride from Aussie Rules should strengthen Meath’s options. Trevor Giles has joined the management team while Paul Garrigan has departed the setup.

The third year of Jack O’Connor’s third spell as Kerry manager begins on Wednesday night in Austin Stack Park. Farrell’s Dubs are not out until Saturday, where they await the winners of Laois v Offaly.

Kevin McStay’s Mayo will face London on Sunday while Joyce’s Galway have to wait until Friday week for a semi-final against Leitrim. All those FBD League games will take place in the dome.

The All-Ireland SFC final will take place at Croke Park on July 28th. From the dome to the cathedral.

Game on.

Intercounty football managers 2024

Leinster

Dublin – Dessie Farrell (5th season)

Carlow – Niall Carew (5th season)

Kildare – Glenn Ryan (3rd season)

Meath – Colm O’Rourke (2nd season)

Westmeath – Dessie Dolan (2nd season)

Longford – Paddy Christie (2nd season)

Wexford – John Hegarty (2nd season)

Wicklow – Oisín McConville (2nd season)

Louth – Ger Brennan (1st season)

Offaly – Declan Kelly (1st season)

Laois – Justin McNulty (1st season, 2nd term)

Munster

Kerry – Jack O’Connor (3rd season, 3rd term)

Cork – John Cleary (3rd season, he was interim manager in 2022)

Tipperary – Paul Kelly (1st season)

Clare – Mark Fitzgerald (1st season)

Limerick – Jimmy Lee (1st season)

Waterford – Paul Shankey (1st season)

Connacht

Galway – Pádraic Joyce (5th season)

London – Michael Maher (5th season)

Sligo – Tony McEntee (4th season)

Leitrim – Andy Moran (3rd season)

Mayo – Kevin McStay (2nd season)

Roscommon – Davy Burke (2nd season)

New York – Alan O’Mara (1st season)

Ulster

Armagh – Kieran McGeeney (10th season)

Tyrone – Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher (4th season)

Fermanagh – Kieran Donnelly (3rd season)

Monaghan – Vinny Corey (2nd season)

Down – Conor Laverty (2nd season)

Antrim – Andy McEntee (2nd season)

Donegal – Jim McGuinness (1st season, 2ndterm)

Derry – Mickey Harte (1st season)

Cavan – Raymond Galligan (1st season)