FOR TWO CONSECUTIVES EVENINGS, the managerial merry-go-round got another good shove around when Dublin GAA announced that Micheál Donoghue has left the senior manager’s role after two seasons, and Waterford announced Peter Quelly as Davy Fitzgerald’s successor.
It opens up a new job in Dublin, but it also heralds the beginning of the end of the Galway manager’s search with Donoghue instantly becoming the favourite to walk back into the post where he won Liam MacCarthy in 2017.
Galway, Dublin and Antrim are the biggest prizes on offer, with posts also open in Laois and Kerry for a different profile of manager.
Henry Shefflin brought an end to his disappointing tenure in charge of the Tribesmen, and the role now seems certain to be handed to Donoghue.
The only other potential candidate publicly declaring themselves interested in the role was Davy Fitzgerald, who made sure to get the message across in a recent BBC ‘GAA Social’ podcast that he was ready and willing to talk to whoever needed to be talked to. He even went as far as claiming he had more or less agreed to the job before it was given to Shefflin.
Fitzgerald’s is a name that we will return to here, and it was something of a surprise that he left the Waterford role.
A quick scratch of the surface shows that Austin Gleeson is now back committing to the county after a year out, and there was a distinct alteration in their style of play mid-season, believed to be pushed on Fitzgerald by the players.
That it is Quelly, a man loyal to Fitzgerald that has taken the role with support from Dan Shanahan and Eoin Kelly of Tipp as lead coach, speaks volumes.
Onto Dublin, and given how recent Donoghue’s departure is, there are no instant candidates and the rumour mill has yet to get cranking up.
It’s an unexpected move, but there would be little doubt that Davy Fitzgerald could see himself managing Dublin. Many things would appeal to him about the move and the profile would undoubtedly be a huge draw for him.
But aspirations and reality are two very different things. Dublin will target a Henry Shefflin type, if not Shefflin himself.
In any event, they might opt for their U20 manager, Shane O’Brien. Pat Gilroy (2017) was the only Dublin native manager since Anthony Daly was appointed in 2008.
If all else fails, you imagine Fitzgerald might fancy a spin with Antrim. The obvious factor here is travel, but that didn’t deter Darren Gleeson for the last number of years, nor his fellow Tipperary man Dinny Cahill for two spells before him.
Fitzgerald is close to a number of key figures in Saffron Business Forum, one of the chief fundraisers for the county, and has previously been involved in training Dunloy.
Stranger things have happened, but from some early soundings of the players, there is a sense that they might want someone from the county back in charge.
In that case, they have two strong candidates. Former county captain and 2012 All-Ireland club winning captain Johnny Campbell has been in the county backroom team and knows the ropes under Gleeson.
The other is Ballycastle’s Michael McShane, who led Slaughtneil to numerous Ulster club titles and also brought Nicky Rackard success to Tyrone.
The final two vacancies are Kerry and Laois. To an extent, they are jobs for aspiring managers looking to cut their teeth in intercounty management.
Former Waterford forward Stephen Molumphy spent three seasons in charge of Kerry before his work as an army officer brought him to a posting at the EU Military headquarters in Brussels.
Kerry might feel that a Brendan Cummins is the perfect fit for them, while Laois could do worse than pursue former Kilkenny custodian David Herity, who most recently has been Tipperary goalkeeping coach with Liam Cahill and impressed in his spell in charge of Kildare.
