Inside Track: Several rookies among county team managers

It’s not called a merry-go-round for nothing, some jumping on, others jumping off. Rarely has it happened, if at all, where there were no changes in the inter-county managerial set-up prior to the start of a new season.

Indeed, there have often been step-downs while the league and championship season still had road to travel.

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If Declan Bonnar, the former Donegal manager, takes over the running of the Westmeath team, as expected, the line-up for the 2026 season will be complete.

Bonnar included, it will have 13 in new surroundings, some of them having been involved with other counties, others on their managerial debut.

Louth will have a newcomer, Gavin Devlin, succeeding Ger Brennan. It means that of this year’s four provincial winners, this county is the only one that will have a change.

Pádraic Joyce is continuing in Galway, same with Jim McGuinness in Donegal, and though there were suggestions Jack O’Connor might step down after leading Kerry to All-Ireland glory, the most decorated of current managers with four Sam Maguire wins to his credit, is extending the third of his reigns to five years.

Kieran McGeeney, one of only four who’ll be pacing the line next year with a victory at the highest level behind him, is entering his 12th season in charge of Armagh.

Like O’Connor, McGeeney once had Kildare under his care. Indeed, it was with the Lilywhites that the Mullaghbawn man had his first inter-county role. He’s one of only a handful who’ve won an All-Ireland as a player and manager.

Mickey Harte and McGuinness are the other All-Ireland winners, the former, three times over. Harte, who had stays in two other counties, this one included, after the third of his All-Ireland wins with Tyrone, will again be joining forces with Declan Kelly in Offaly.

The manager who’ll probably come under the closest scrutiny is Ger Brennan. Having led this county to a first Leinster win in 68 years, the St Vincent’s clubman is back in his native Dublin.

He has named a strong backroom team – Stephen Cluxton, Dean Rock and Denis Bastick, all winners at the highest level on the field – in his attempt emulate the three most recent holders of the post he now fills.

After Pat Gilroy, came Jim Gavin, and then Dessie Farrell. All three have seen their captain lift the most prestigious trophy in Gaelic football.

Gavin has entered the world of politics – already there is Justin McNulty, an SDLP MLA, who continues in charge of Laois. The Armagh All-Ireland winner incurred the wrath of his Party’s hierarchy last year when he skipped off from a Stormont debate to oversee a Laois championship tie. He got a result down in Wexford, but a warm ear when he arrived back in Belfast.

Oisin McConville, another member of the successful 2002 Armagh side, is going into his fourth season with Wicklow, and it will be the same for Karl Lavery (Down), John Cleary (Cork) and John Hegarty in Wexford.

Malachy O’Rourke (Tyrone), Mike Solan (Longford), Brian Flanagan (Kildare) and Monaghan’s Gabriel Bannigan will have their second year in charge, the same as Steven Poacher in Leitrim and Robbie Brennan in Meath.

Poacher is not a stranger to this county. For the past couple of years, he’s been on the line with St Mochta’s, leading the Villagers to a win in this year’s Cardinal O’Donnell Cup.

Three of the first-timers will be operating in Connacht. The most prominent, Andy Moran, moves to Mayo, the county to which he gave excellent service on the football field. He held the No. 1 spot in Leitrim for a time, and after that was on Gabriel Bannigan’s backroom team in Monaghan.

Mark Dowd makes his debut with Roscommon, and former footballers, Dessie Sloyan and Eamonn O’Hara, team up in their native Sligo.

Clare, who have had four managers in as many years, are putting their faith in Paul Madden, and Waterford give a start to Corkman, Ephie Fitzgerald.

Ulster has three debutantes – four, if you include Bonnar. Ciaran Meenagh takes over in Derry, having previously acted as interim manager following Rory Gallagher’s departure in 2023. Another former footballer will run the line in Cavan.

Dermot McCabe, who was Westmeath’s manager this year, replaces Ray Galligan, and at the same time gives way in the midlands to Mark McHugh, an All-Ireland winner with Donegal in 2012.

There is probably no new manager who’s been as much travelled as Mark Doran. The man assigned to take Antrim from the shadows has been in management teams the length and breadth of the country, among them one in his native Down.

That’s more or less it, the line-up on the line for 2026. Only four will lead their counties to provincial glory, but there are other prizes to be won, in leagues and the Tailteann Cup. It will be interesting to be seen how many are still in place at this time next year.