Derry Club Football & Hurling original

[Uncle Phil]

Delighted for Ciaran Meenagh, success follows him , no bullshit with him and popular with players he works with. Quietly confident for the year ahead

Yes - a man of serious integrity. Does the right things and does them well. Along with Marty Boyle (one of the most underrated coaches in Ulster IMO), Derry are in good hands.

[Ryan O]

Delighted for Ciaran Meenagh, success follows him , no bullshit with him and popular with players he works with. Quietly confident for the year ahead

I went to Omagh yesterday in the hope of getting a great game (delivered) but also sat about 6 rows back from Loughmacrory dugout just to see what kind of characters we have now in our county management set up. Quick move after U16 game as my 50/50 chance of getting the right dugout turned out to be wrong.
I couldn't have been more impressed, it was a fantastic display by Loughmacrory but completely engineered by Meenagh and you could tell that throughout the game. If our lads play like that we're in for a really good year. Every year I'm an eternal optimist but this year I running with confident rather than hope.

Martin Boyles interview and Ciaran Meenagh after the game shows how good they were. And I've no doubt Martins line in relation to Loughmacrory is also as relevant to Derry, " You can't always be up and coming sometime you'll have to get there"

[jb77]

I see Thomas Mallon with the Loughmacrory keepers, didn't realise he was Meenaghs man too. Getting out the gates with a reliable keeper is well up the list this year I wish him well

[scout]

Collie Devlin also involved there I seen on loughmacrorys Facebook.

[toby47]

Any talk of any new names or any names omitted from next years Senior Squad

Plenty added

Fire up some names there toby

With the McKenna cup making a return it'll be a good opportunity to get a look at a few.

6 or 7 called up between the 2 finalists, including Shea McGuckin in nets. Jack Doherty Glen, Sean Kearney Swatragh. Not sure how many will commit though.

[HonDerry]

Here is the match day panel from Derry's last championship game this year, against Dublin in Newry earlier this year. Who has been added and subtracted from the list?


1.  Odhran Lynch 
2.  Diarmuid Baker 
3.  Eoin McEvoy 
4.  Patrick McGurk 
5.  Conor Doherty 
6.  Brendan Rogers 
7.  Padraig McGrogan 
8.  Conor Glass 
9.  Dan Higgins 
10. Ethan Doherty 
11. Paul Cassidy 
12. Ciaran McFaul 
13. Shane McGuigan 
14. Niall Loughlin 
15. Niall Toner 
16. Ben McKinless 
17. Conor McCluskey 
18. Ryan Mulholland 
19. Danny McDermott 
20. Tommy Rogers 
21. Anton Tohill 
22. Ruairi Forbes 
23. Lachlan Murray 
24. Cahir McMonagle 
25. Caolan Devlin 
26. Ben McCarron

Non Match Panel
Charlie Diamond
Kevin Quinn

Additions
I will add the obvious
Gareth McKinless
Donncha Gilmore
Martin Bradley

Then the players I hear that have been added but not confirmed

Sean Young
Eamonn Young
Shea McGuckin
Conall Higgins
James Murray
Jack Doherty
Sean Kearney

Subtractions
I hear Anton Tohill is not part of the panel.

[oakleaflad]

The likes of Charlie Diamond and Kevin Quinn were still about the panel too afaik.
Donnacha Gilmore likely rejoin the panel after his injury too.
Eamonn Young still u20 so will likely start out there, I think possibly Conall Higgins too. F McEldowney got a call up after the U20s last year too if I remember correctly.
Need to see if anything comes from Ruairi Forbes attending the AFL combine. It was to be earlier this month if anyone heard anything?

[HonDerry]

ok I will add Charlie and Kevin Quinn onto the Non-match day panel. Charlie had a decent club championship, not sure about Kevin.

Donnacha Gilmore I will add to that list.

Eamonn Young and Conall Higgins are both u20 but have heard that they have been added to the senior panel. Haven't heard that Finn has been added. Either way, we will see how the U20 and senior management decide to work with these players

Havent heard anything about Ruari Forbes and AFL

All in all, shaping up to be a very strong panel as there will be others to add in there.  A solid goal Keeper is still the key question. Lynch I understand, will be out for several months.

[jb77]

Would hope Marty Bradley comes back as well

[Ryan O]

There's a couple of St Bridgids men on the panel.

I thought Charlie had good championship lacked some help for Bellaghy but definitely looked like good forward.

Hard to justify Anton Tohill being there played one game since Derry season ended although he is a serious athlete.

Does Ryan Mc Nicholl from Glenullin deserve a chance?

[toby47]

James Murray added also.

The word is that nothing is coming from Ruairi Forbes in the AFL, didn't finish in the top 10 in any of the combine tests, so hopefully he will be about.

Lynch out until May/June with hip surgery - so need to get the GK situation sorted early.

McKinless & McCloskey back fully fit will be some boost.

[jb77]

Thought Clucky really came to his old self through the championship maybe it was just a confidence thing.

Where will Roger's play this year, I like Higgins at midfield and there's a couple more halfbacks returning

[HonDerry]

Not sure where Rodgers will play. Miles mounting on the clock but some option for full back. Eoin McEvoy never liked it there - much better in half backs. This is where we want to be. Good men fighting over positions

I have updated the list above with James Murray and Martin Bradley, Marty had a good season last year but got injured so I would assume he is still there.
Ruari Forbes is in the list

I wouldn't know if Ryan McNicholl deserves a chance, I didn't see any of the Glenullin games. My original post was simply to get a list of who is in the new panel.

I heard too that there was a couple of St Bridgids men on the panel.

All will be revealed soon I suppose.

[tbrick18]

Rodgers is good enough to play anywhere - I'd still have him in MF though. The Glass/Rodgers MF combination did well for us a couple of years back.
IF everyone is fit, a HB line of McGrogan, McKinless, CD is hard to go past, even though I think McEvoy's best position is CHB. He'll prob be FB with Clucky and 1 of Baker/McGurk in the other corner.
Rodgers could play any of those positions, CD/McKinless/Higgins/Rodgers/Glass all MF options - again all subject to fitness and injuries.

I didn't realise Lynch was going to be out for so long. Hopefully Scullion will return. Any other keepers in the mix?

Bound to be a few additions to the panel from Magherafelt and Newbridge too you'd imagine.

Would be great to see Newbridge go on a run in Ulster too.

[Hand of God]

Just out of interest. What ever happened with the Downeys? I know there was some fallout with their club but one of them was a starter a few years ago under Gallagher when you won Ulster and there was another lad who was one of the main men in an AI winning team that went straight into the senior setup but don't see any mention of them there?

Have they gone travelling or has it been injuries/lack of commitment?