The club managers appointed for 2021
The majority of Sligo GAA clubs have already got their adult team managers in place for the coming campaign
WHILE 2021 promises to be another turbulent year for sport – with Covid-19 restrictions likely to impact on competition schedules – Sligo GAA clubs have made managerial appointments. In most cases clubs are keeping faith with the same managers that were in charge of their adult teams last year. Others are opting for something different and so have brought in new faces. Some clubs have yet to finalise their management teams. Tourlestrane, who have won the last five Sligo Senior Football Championships, have Gurteen’s Kevin Johnson at the helm – he takes over from joint-managers Eamonn O’Hara and Gerry McGowan, who were in charge for the historic five-in-a-row.
Many of the managers plotting Tourlestrane’s downfall in the coming months have already tried.
Seven of Tourlestrane’s rivals in the top tier will be guided by managers who were there in 2020, including last year’s runners-up Drumcliffe-Rosses Point (Fergal O’Flaherty), St Mary’s (Aidan Rooney), Coolera-Strandhill (Enda Mitchell and Adrian McPartland), Calry-St Joseph’s (David Cummins), Geevagh (John Hughes), Shamrock Gaels (Glen McDermott) and Coolaney-Mullinabreena (Glenn Young).
Curry, promoted from last year’s second tier, are sticking with Kenny Morley, the manager for their Sligo Intermediate Football Championship success, while Tubbercurry have yet to finalise a replacement for David Curran, who is now with Cloonacool in the Junior ‘A’ Football Championship.
In Sligo’s Intermediate Football Championship, the 2020 runners-up St Molaise Gaels again have Jimmy Langan on board – he was their boss when they won the Joe McMorrow Cup in 2016.
Eastern Harps, relegated from the Senior ranks, have ex-Sligo player Ross Donovan as their new boss.
Two of the four west Sligo clubs playing at Intermediate level – Enniscrone-Kilglass and Castleconnor – have a manager in place. Michael Duffy continues at the helm of Enniscrone-Kilglass, a club currently developing their facilities at Quigabar, while Castleconnor have brought in Knockmore native Nigel Reape, an experienced manager from Mayo GAA’s club scene.
St Farnan’s and Easkey are still without managers, although it is anticipated that the latter will re-appoint Eamon Sweeney, who was last year’s gaffer.
Bunninadden have Willie Gormley in the hot seat – Gormley guided Tubbercurry to Owen B Hunt Cup success in 2014 – PJ McGarrigle is over St John’s and Tourlestrane’s Enda Kelly has another term with Ballymote. Tourlestrane’s second XV, winners of last year’s Junior ‘A’ title, are presently finalising a management team for their foray into Intermediate territory.
In Sligo’s Junior ‘A’ Football Championship, Owenmore Gaels, who lost last year’s final to the aforementioned Tourlestrane, have made a major appointment. They have John McPartland Jnr as team manager – McPartland was manager of the Coolera-Strandhill team that
MENTOR: Naomh Eoin Senior hurling team manager John Doyle. reached the Sligo Senior Football Championship decider in 2019. St Michael’s, who made the drop from the Intermediate Football Championship, have selected Declan Feeney, a Cavan native with a rich GAA pedigree, to be their guide in Sligo GAA’s third tier.
St Patrick’s, who for years were the last club to win back-to-back titles in Sligo’s Senior Football Championship (until Tourlestrane matched this feat in 2016-17), are in the process of appointing a manager for 2021. Galway’s Colum O’Meara, part of the Sligo Senior hurling team management in the successful Nicky Rackard Cup campaign of two years ago, is the new boss of
Easkey hurlers, who captured last year’s Sligo Senior Hurling Championship for the first time since 1963.
O’Meara ended up part of Easkey’s backroom team for the latter stages of last year’s campaign – one that had Niall McGrath, who hails from Tipperary, in charge. The team beaten in the 2020 Sligo SHC final, Naomh Eoin, again have John Doyle in charge – he led them to their first-ever county title in 2019.