County Manager Merry go round

[cavanmaniac]

Cavan and Roscommon seem to be in stasis over the past year, they can play well the odd time, but the pair of them don't seem like they are on the up.

What would be the idea of a positive season there?

I had lads from Cavan tell me there were agin McCabe but it all seemed to be fairly frictionless. What would be the expectations there?

Stasis is the word. The pall of inertia hanging over the county teams in Cavan, and total lack of any sense of emergency or organised plan to rectify it - can't fix the problem without first acknowledging there is one - is incredible to witness. Attendances falling off, public losing interest and instead of a root and branch inquiry and fresh plan of attack, we get a coronation instead of an appointment process. Whatever your opinion on McCabe, nobody should waltz into the job like they're doing that job a favour rather than the other way around, and if there's a sub committee in place (supposedly) overseeing it all, ought they not to have debated and pinpointed the current problems, researched extensively and come up with a definitive list of names and cast a wide net for a person best suited and qualified to tackle those problems? What was the process here? Was there one at all? "Ah sure we wanted a Cavan person and only one was nominated" is amateur hour stuff given the evident lack of direction, and absence of heart and guts in our supine county players, laid bare any time we so much as smell any Tyrone team within ten miles of us. And a good number of them are approaching retirement anyway. Genuinely, Division 3/4 is beckoning as there's damn all coming through but it's a case of "all good, nothing to see here".
The current state of affairs would make you pine for the early 90s because dreadful as our results were the whole county was still full square behind our team and somehow we had a county board with the vision to appoint Martin McHugh. The current crop? Too busy trying to build a stadium to host big games Cavan will never appear in. If you think I'm exaggerating, ask yourself how any "serious" football county can still profess to be as much, having gone since 1952 without appearing in an All-Ireland final, and win two Ulster seniors in 56 years? There should be alarm bells ringing all over the place but the leadership is absent and asleep at the wheel.

[twohands!!!]

Paul Madden new Clare manager.

https://www.clare.fm/sport/paul-madden-appointed-as-clare-senior-football-manager/

One of the quickest appointments I recall after a manager stood down.

Absolutely lightning turnaround - County Board obviously knew Keane was stepping down but you'd wonder about the procedure the county board followed in terms of appointing Madden - really hard to imagine best practice was followed.

There is nothing on the Clare GAA website about either the resignation or appointment.
Clare GAA announced Keane's resignation on Instagram Sunday and announced Madden's appointment Tuesday.
On Facebook they did announce Madden's appointment but not Keane's resignation.
Clare county board really doing a great job to battle the stereotype they don't really care about football.

[twohands!!!]

Stasis is the word. The pall of inertia hanging over the county teams in Cavan, and total lack of any sense of emergency or organised plan to rectify it - can't fix the problem without first acknowledging there is one - is incredible to witness. Attendances falling off, public losing interest and instead of a root and branch inquiry and fresh plan of attack, we get a coronation instead of an appointment process. Whatever your opinion on McCabe, nobody should waltz into the job like they're doing that job a favour rather than the other way around, and if there's a sub committee in place (supposedly) overseeing it all, ought they not to have debated and pinpointed the current problems, researched extensively and come up with a definitive list of names and cast a wide net for a person best suited and qualified to tackle those problems? What was the process here? Was there one at all? "Ah sure we wanted a Cavan person and only one was nominated" is amateur hour stuff given the evident lack of direction, and absence of heart and guts in our supine county players, laid bare any time we so much as smell any Tyrone team within ten miles of us. And a good number of them are approaching retirement anyway. Genuinely, Division 3/4 is beckoning as there's damn all coming through but it's a case of "all good, nothing to see here".
The current state of affairs would make you pine for the early 90s because dreadful as our results were the whole county was still full square behind our team and somehow we had a county board with the vision to appoint Martin McHugh. The current crop? Too busy trying to build a stadium to host big games Cavan will never appear in. If you think I'm exaggerating, ask yourself how any "serious" football county can still profess to be as much, having gone since 1952 without appearing in an All-Ireland final, and win two Ulster seniors in 56 years? There should be alarm bells ringing all over the place but the leadership is absent and asleep at the wheel.

What's crazy about the whole appointment process is that it isn't even the worst looking one this week - the Clare GAA one looks even worse. Still doesn't excuse a slapdash efforts. Given how much drama and messing and just utter nonsense has gone on about appointing managers countrywide over the years Croke Park should really be setting out basic rules that county boards have to follow about the whole process.

[Blowitupref]

New Dublin football manager Ger Brennan is set to include former team mates Dean Rock and Denis Bastick in his backroom team, according to reports.

Reported that Roscommon could appoint a new manager next week.

Looks like a Roscommon man with get it with Mark Dowd,Noel Dunning,Nigel Dineen linked,  all have managed Roscommon underage teams to Connacht titles

Mark Doran, who was part of Davy Burke's Roscommon management team in 2025, has emerged as a candidate for the Antrim senior football manager's job.

[Captain Scarlet]

I know it's hard to base things on media apperances but Dean Rock seems to be a serious student of the game and his analysis bits he did on YouTube were vrey good.
A lad like him who was not an out and out athlete but still won everything tend to need to think about their own game and others more. He obviously had natural ability but what was between the ears counted more.

[Rossfan]

Seems our new manager will be Mark.
Surname to be decided later...

[PadraicHenryPearse]

Mark Dowd, Roscommon manager

[Blowitupref]

Mark Dowd, Roscommon manager

Roscommon GAA statement


Roscommon GAA is delighted to announce that Mark Dowd has been selected as the new manager of the Roscommon Senior Football team, subject to ratification at the next meeting of the Roscommon GAA County Board.

Mark, a native of Strokestown, brings a wealth of experience in both management and coaching at inter-county and club level.

He was part of the management team when Roscommon won the All-Ireland Minor Championship in 2006, and he guided Ballaghaderreen to the Mayo Senior Football Championship title in 2012. Mark also led the Roscommon U21 team to Connacht Championship success in 2015.

In addition, Mark was part of the coaching setup during Roscommon's Connacht Senior Championship wins in 2010 and 2019, and he played a key role in his home club Strokestown's Roscommon Senior Championship triumph in 2022. He is currently the manager of Roscommon Gaels.

Roscommon GAA County Chairperson, Brian Carroll, said:

"We are delighted to welcome Mark Dowd as the incoming manager of the Roscommon Senior Football team. Mark has an outstanding track record at both club and county level, and he brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for Roscommon football. We are confident that his leadership will help drive this team forward and build on the progress of recent years. I have had the pleasure of working with Mark on numerous occasions over the last 12 years and I know the Roscommon Senior Football team is in safe hands going forward. On behalf of Roscommon GAA, I would like to wish Mark every success in the role and assure him of our full support as he begins this exciting new chapter."

Mark will confirm his backroom team in due course.

Roscommon GAA also wishes to sincerely thank the selection committee for their hard work and diligence in bringing this process to a successful conclusion.

[DaleCooper]

Any moves afoot in Galway?

Mayo and Rossies will get a bounce from new setups, could be some great contests in Connaught

[Rossfan]

Congrats Mark.
Best wishes and much success in the years ahead.

[Manning18]

Kevin Johnson appointed Galway U20 manager for a 3 year term, a stepping stone towards the senior job when it comes up maybe? He has a lot of work put in at academy level along with his club experience.

A good appointment I would say, although didn't really work out at Corofin.

They're comfortably the third best team in Galway talent wise and yet he's won the last two county titles. It's absolutely worked out

He's clearly trying to position himself to take over post Joyce. Id have a few doubts but at the same time the manager market nationwide is depressingly mediocre at the moment

[FermGael]

Kieran Donnelly has stepped down this morning.

Very strange timing.

[marty34]

Kieran Donnelly has stepped down this morning.

Very strange timing.

I didn't realise he was there 5 years

That's a decent stretch of service there.

Should have beat Down in Ulster this year. Let it slip.

[Blowitupref]

New manager for Antrim

The Antrim County Committee are pleased to confirm that Mark Doran has been appointed as Manager of the Antrim Senior Football Team.

Over the past number of years, Mark has been involved at the highest levels of the game, including coaching roles with Down, Clare, and Roscommon senior football teams, and team management with Ballybay and Slaughtneil. His contributions have been widely praised across the counties he has worked with, helping teams improve performance and compete at provincial and national levels.

Antrim County Committee Chairperson Seamus McMullan has congratulated Mark on his appointment, saying:

"Mark has built a solid reputation as a coach and manager. His depth of experience and understanding of the modern game make him an ideal fit to lead our Senior Footballers forward."

"We wish Mark and the panel the very best and look forward to the 2026 season".

Mark's management and backroom team will be announced in due course.

[Blowitupref]

Pat Ryan departs as Cork hurling manager.

3 Munster (senior & U20), 1 league (senior), 2 All-Ireland (U20) titles as manager of Cork teams since 2020, along with contesting two All-Ireland senior finals.