MARK DORAN IS out of the running to become the new Derry manager after accepting a coaching role with Roscommon.

The former Down footballer, who was in charge of Slaughtneil until their Derry SFC semi-final elimination at the hands of Glen last weekend, had been linked with the job to replace Mickey Harte.

Speculation had stepped up a notch when Malachy O’Rourke threw his lot in with Tyrone but Derry will now have to look elsewhere to conclude their three-month search.

In the past week, Karl Lacey dismissed stories linking him to the Oak Leaf role. They, along with Clare and Leitrim, are the counties currently recruiting a new boss.

The highly regarded Doran joins as Davy Burke’s ‘senior football coach’ as the Rossies look to build on a year that saw them reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Doran will complete the set of working with county teams from all four provinces having previously been involved with his native Down, Clare, and, most recently, Wicklow. He also co-managed Ballybay to the Monaghan football title in 2022.

Meanwhile, Connacht GAA have halved the ground rent payable to counties for the 2025 senior football championship.

The decision to cut rental payments to host counties from 10% to 5% is in response to “severe funding challenges” due to the Central Council’s decision to axe the pre-season provincial competitions.

Connacht forecast a financial hit of “nearly €150,000” due to the loss of income from the FBD Football and Hurling Leagues between gate receipts, streaming, and sponsorship revenue.

The statement added: “The removal of these competitions in 2025 is anticipated to have a particularly negative impact, especially as teams, match officials, and supporters could have greatly benefited from experiencing new rules before the National League begins.

“Delegates from all counties raised concerns during the meeting regarding the loss of revenue and the necessity of these competitions. They pointed out that managers would likely seek additional challenge matches, placing increased demands on players in terms of both playtime and travel. The delegates highlighted the missed opportunities provided by the FBD Connacht League and expressed a strong desire to explore alternative solutions for balancing the budget.

“Additionally, the Connacht Hurling League has provided significant opportunities for all counties, further highlighted by the participation of New York, London, and Longford alongside the five Connacht counties. New York, in particular, has greatly benefited from participation in the Hurling leagues.”