McCaffrey and Mannion to return for Dubs
celebrations in Donegal as they won their first Ulster title in 19 years.
They’ve contested two All-Ireland finals since then, winning in
2012, and have added another four Ulster crowns.
So the bar has been raised significantly. Bonner won two Ulster titles as a manager but there are plenty in Donegal who feel his tenure wasn’t a success.
It’s hard to fathom when you consider that the only other two Donegal managers to win Ulster are Brian McEniff and Jim McGuinness.
That’s the flip side of national success, though. Supporters come to expect it.
The process to find
Bonner’s replacement has been shrouded in secrecy.
Not only did the Donegal
County Board announce that they wouldn’t be revealing the names of any candidates, they also made it clear that the names of those on the interview panel would be kept private too.
Depending on who you believe, there were either two, one or no applicants before the deadline.
Donegal gave themselves leeway to approach others who hadn’t been nominated but, as of yet, there is no white smoke. players around — and McCaffrey is a former Footballer of the Year.
They’re also proven big-day performers and will greatly help Dublin’s mission to knock Kerry off their perch.
Jason Sherlock (inset, below), who shone as a coach with Dublin under Jim Gavin, talked last week of his approach by Monaghan.
He clarified that there had been contact but didn’t reveal why he decided not to take the position.
It was also reported that one of Sherlock’s former Dublin teammates, Ger Brennan, was also in the frame — but he then ruled himself out. It does show that Monaghan have been looking outside of the county’s borders for a boss.
Maybe that’s no surprise as Malachy O’Rourke — a Fermanagh native — made such an impact with them.
Succeed
Roscommon have gone regularly for outside managers too.
Cunningham is from Galway and Kevin McStay, who led them to their last Connacht title, is from Mayo.
Pat Flanagan from Westmeath was the early favourite to succeed Cunningham but now the talk is of a Roscommon native in Don Connellan. He has enjoyed success at club level in Galway and in the Sigerson Cup with NUIG, where he was brought in as coach by Maurice Sheridan.
One of the biggest issues for Donegal is the lack of proven managers from within the county. McEniff often answered the distress call in the past but he will turn 80 shortly, so it’s clear his days on the sideline are over.
Kilmacud Crokes star Mannion hasn’t played for the Blues since he was a sub in the 2020 All-Ireland final win over Mayo.
A three-time All-Star, he has been in scintillating form for his club ever since.
Four-time All-Star and
Jim McGuinness is fully focused on soccer coaching and then there is Martin McHugh.
His name is always mentioned when there is a vacancy in Donegal and this time is no different.
His Ulster title with Cavan was 25 years ago but he has taken the reins at club and colleges level since then.
McHugh (inset, above) has a high profile and, a football obsessive, watches matches all over Ireland at all sorts of levels on a weekly basis.
But there has been no indication from McHugh that he is interested in the job. He would likely encourage a sea change in the way Donegal play football and he wouldn’t be alone in the county in wanting to move on from the massed defence approach.
That is an approach that has been very popular in Donegal club football over the past decade too, so it raises questions over successful club managers there — are they capable of coming up with something different at county level?
Nobody likes to mention the ‘M’ word — but that’s a big part of any managerial hunt too.
Division One counties with aspirations are expected to have huge backroom teams — they don’t come cheap. Raising money — in the teeth of a likely recession — is going to be a bigger challenge than ever.
The club Championships in all three of the counties are well underway — Donegal are at the semi-final stage — so the new managers won’t be able to do much scouting.
Then they’ll be thrown into the shark pit of a demanding new system next year. These jobs aren’t for the fainthearted. 2015 footballer of the year McCaffrey, who turns 29 next month, last lined out for Dublin in the 2019 All-Ireland final replay win over Kerry.
Serious
Mannion went off with an injury in Crokes’ victory over Cuala in Saturday’s Dublin senior quarter-final, though the hope is that it will not prove serious.
McCaffrey, meanwhile, did not feature in Clontarf’s senior relegation defeat to Raheny yesterday but acted as a water carrier.
HE’LL TURN 40 next weekend — but Conal Keaney is still popping up with inspirational scores for Ballyboden St Enda’s.
The veteran dual player came off the bench for the final quarter of ‘Boden’s 3-15 to 3-10 Dublin SFC quarter-final win over Ballinteer St John’s.
His experience and craft was required too as ‘Boden found themselves under the cosh at Parnell Park after a 10-point lead was cut to just three late on.
Ballinteer even had an opportunity to level the game in stoppage time but another former Dublin player Declan O’Mahoney cleared off the line and worked the ball upfield.
Keaney eventually got on the end of it and curled over a beauty to make it a four-point game.
Then when ‘Boden won a sideline ball out on the right wing in the 63rd minute, he took on the responsibility and swung the ball over the bar.
The back-to-back points sealed a slightly flattering fivepoint win — and a semi-final clash with Na Fianna, who overcame Whitehall Colmcille on Saturday.
The other semi-final will be between holders Kilmacud Crokes and 2019 runners-up Thomas Davis.
Lead
Ballyboden may kick themselves for not making life easier on themselves as they led virtually throughout before coughing up much of their lead.
A 1-6 scoring burst between the ninth and 19th minutes left 2016 All-Ireland winners ‘Boden 1-7 to 1-1 clear.
Colm Basquel shot four of ‘Boden’s points during that blitzkrieg while Warren Egan struck the goal.
Egan went on to finish with 2-2 as ‘Boden built on their 1-9 to 1-6 halftime lead to open up a 10-point advantage following a third goal from Darren O’Reilly.
Ballinteer looked dead and buried, particularly as they were reduced to 14 players in the 50th minute when attacker Luke Breathnach went off injured.
They’d already used their full allocation of subs so couldn’t replace him but battled gamely and almost reeled Ballyboden back in with goals from Fearghal Duffy and David Devereux.
Former Dublin stars Keaney, Michael Darragh Macauley and O’Mahoney all played important roles when they came on for ‘Boden though, steering them back to the last four.
Thomas Davis cruised to a more comfortable 1-12 to 0-5 win over Ciaran Kilkenny’s Castleknock in yesterday’s remaining quarter-final game.
Defeated
The draw for the last four was conducted after the game and pitted the Tallaght outfit against holders and Leinster champions Kilmacud Crokes, who defeated Cuala 0-14 to 1-9 on Saturday.
It’s a first semi-final for Thomas Davis since 2019 when they went on to reach the decider.
They led Castleknock virtually from start to finish too, hitting five points in a row between the ninth and 19th minutes to put clear daylight between the sides for the first time.
Gavin Carruth was assigned man marking duties on intercounty star Kilkenny and did a terrific job, holding the multiple All-Ireland winner scoreless and eventually hobbling off late on with a leg injury.
County man Cian Murphy was among the first-half scorers for Thomas Davis who took a 0-7 to 0-2 lead into the interval.
They then took a giant step towards victory when Eamon Conroy was fed by the excellent Conor Guilfoyle for a 42nd-minute goal.
Dublin Under20 star Adam Waddick, Guilfoyle and free-taker Fionn Murray all added points in the final quarter to ease Thomas Davis to their victory.