Devlin reflects on journey to Louth job

New Louth manager Gavin Devlin has described the road to his appointment as the “longest apprenticeship in modern history”.

In a new interview, the coach-turned-manager and his assistant manager, Peter Dooley, discussed their recent appointments and their hopes for the future of Louth football.

Speaking with Donal Waters of Blackstone Motors, the official mobility sponsor of Louth GAA, Devlin reflected on his coaching career and said it’s “surreal” to be facing cameras without his longtime mentor and former Louth manager Mickey Harte.

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When asked about the difference between coaching and managing, he explained that working as a coach under Harte’s management at the Wee County and at their home county of Tyrone allowed him to gain a greater understanding of the duties of both roles.

“I stayed with him for 14 years – it was always a small management team that we had,” he said. “It was me and Mickey primarily, most of the time, just the two of us, so we had a really close working relationship.

“We were involved together in every facet between the coach and the manager. So I'm very familiar with the ongoings as a coach and a manager.”

One aspect of management the former All-Ireland winning player is still getting used to, however, is the publicity side of things.

He continued: “It's a bit surreal driving up the road this evening and knowing that we're going to be facing the cameras and Mickey wasn't going to be beside me, because he’s normally fantastic in these environments.

“He would take control in those moments, and I'd be a lot more comfortable on the pitch than I'd be in front of a camera.

“But look, I've probably done the longest apprenticeship in modern history,” he joked. “So if I'm not ready at this stage, I’ll probably never be ready.”

Devlin also opened up about building his own backroom team, including the recent recruitment of fellow former All-Ireland-winning Tyrone player Ronan O’Neill.

“When it came up that Ronan was available, for me it was an absolute no-brainer because I'd worked with Ronan from 2011 right through to my final days with Tyrone for 10 years,” he said.

“In that time, he was probably one of the greatest talents that we had. He picked up a very bad cruciate injury, and that set him back a bit on his journey.

“But Ronan was one of the greatest talents at his age group for Tyrone, and the way he sees the game and his vision…

“Myself and Peter met up with him, and even the way he spoke about the game and his overview of the game – the whole game, not just the attacking end of the game – it didn't surprise me. So look, we feel really fortunate we have him.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the managers spoke on the challenges leading to the managerial merry-go-round at an intercounty level, the culture they hope to cultivate during their tenure, and the role supporters play in the sport.

Blackstone is a multi-award-winning dealer and service provider for Renault, Dacia, Opel, Nissan and a variety of used cars.

The group has been the official mobility sponsor of Louth GAA for the past four years, proudly supporting the senior football and hurling teams, the Under 20s and the Minors. Blackstone Motors is also the proud main sponsor of Louth LGFA.

“We’re delighted to be part of Louth GAA’s story as it continues to go from strength to strength,” said Managing Director Noel Stewart. “It’s been a great year for Louth football, and we’re excited to see what this new era brings.”

“We’re proud to continue our support of the Wee County and wish Gavin and Peter all the best in their new roles,” Director Donal Waters added.

Click here for the full interview