DIVISION 1
Derry
Manager: Mickey Harte
Year: One
Notes: One of the most eye-catching appointments in years, Harte took a call from Derry and headed to his former bitter rivals having previously committed to Louth for the 2024 season.
A three-year term provides a good time-span to try and help the Oakleaf County claim their second – and Harte's fourth – All-Ireland title and, as usual, the highly-regarded Gavin Devlin will be in tow.
HARTE TRANSPLANT NOT FIRST GAA MOVE TO RAISE EYEBROWS
Matthew Godfrey is their new lead athletic development coach with Peter Hughes away to work with New Zealand Rugby. Enda Muldoon remains from the last management team while Oakleaf great Paul McFlynn has been added, as has Murtagh O’Brien who had previously worked with underage teams in the county.
For Derry, after a tumultuous 2023 that saw Rory Gallagher step aside following serious allegations regarding his private life and interim boss Ciaran Meenagh opt not to go for the job permanently having come so close to the All-Ireland final last year, they will be just glad to have moved onto a new chapter. One thing is for sure, they’ve appointed a winner.
Dublin
Manager: Dessie Farrell
Year: Five
Notes: There was a lot of speculation about Dessie Farrell’s future after the 2022 All-Ireland semi-final loss to Kerry, but he ended up agreeing a two-year extension and rewarded that faith with the Sam Maguire last season.
Farrell’s potential tenure was extended even further in the aftermath of that win as in October, Dublin County Board chairman Mick Seavers confirmed that he will remain as their senior football manager until the end of the 2025 season alongside last year’s management team.
"Dessie and his backroom team have dedicated so much of their time and effort to Dublin GAA over the past four seasons. We look forward to continuing to work with them in the years ahead."
Galway
Manager: Pádraic Joyce
Year: Five
Notes: Pádraic Joyce is now entering the second season of his latest three-year term with pretty much the same team going forward.
There had been speculation that coach Cian O’Neill was set to depart given he travels from Cork, but he will be back for a third season with the Tribe.
John Divilly, John Concannon and Michéal Ó Domhnaill are also back on board despite speculation that the manager may try and freshen his backroom team up slightly.
Galway’s season seemed to turn on Shane Walsh’s missed free against Armagh in the All-Ireland group stage, the side losing to Mayo a week later, so Joyce will be confident of overcoming those small margins.
Kerry
Manager: Jack O’Connor
Year: Three
Notes: Jack O’Connor will remain in charge of the Kingdom footballers for another two years at least after agreeing an extension in early September.
O’Connor’s record in his third spell with the team reads one All-Ireland title .
and two All-Ireland final appearances, so it hasn’t been a bad return at all.
David Clifford, the first ever back-to-back winner of the PwC GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year award, reflects on a bittersweet year for himself and Kerry pic.twitter.com/rTqRwKU2BJ
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) November 17, 2023
As revealed by RTÉ, key coach Paddy Tally is staying on board for another year while Kerins O’Rahillys’ Micheál Quirke and Dingle’s Diarmuid Murphy are also set to remain, so it’s pretty much as you were.
The Kingdom must plan without midfielder Jack Barry who is taking the year out to go travelling.
Mayo
Manager: Kevin McStay
Year: Two
Notes: Kevin McStay is back for year two of his four-year term, but a few backroom changes have not passed without comment.
Liam McHale’s decision to step away brought interest, not because of the move, but more so the reasons. He told Ballina Community Radio back in August that it was due to having a "totally different philosophy" to the rest of the coaching staff.
LIAM MCHALE: MAYO EXIT DUE TO PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCES
Replacing McHale, who has since been appointed Mayo ladies manager, is Galway’s Joe Canney, who won an All-Ireland Club title with Corofin under current Mayo assistant Stephen Rochford – and helped the club to the Andy Merrigan two more times as a coach.
Former Mayo defender Colm Boyle, who retired in 2021, spoke out about the addition when saying "bringing someone from Galway into a Mayo set-up just doesn’t sit right with me."
Monaghan
Manager: Vinny Corey
Year: Two
Notes: Monaghan’s expected dip in 2023 didn’t really materialise as new boss Vinny Corey enjoyed a fine first season.
Finding a successor for Seamus McEnaney had proven a difficult assignment, but eventually the former Farney defender stepped in and he led his team to their usual dramatic Division 1 escape act before they pushed Dublin all the way in a thrilling All-Ireland semi-final.
Corey’s backroom team is to remain the same for the forthcoming season and his panel of players will be pretty much identical with all the elder statesmen expected to sign up for another whack.
That includes Conor McManus who was magnificent against Dublin – the Clontibret ace isn’t done yet. Karl Gallagher looks set for a move to the AFL with Adelaide though.
Roscommon
Manager: Davy Burke
Year: Two
Notes: A reshuffle in the backroom team as Lar Wall replaces Gerry McGowan, who stepped down at the completion of last season, while Mark McHugh has opted to step away.
Wall guided the Downs to the 2022 Westmeath title, their first in 17 years, and he’ll work alongside Eddie Lohan. McHugh, meanwhile, is understood to have originally given the green light to be involved in 2024, but the situation changed.
Ultan Harney could be set for a return to the squad having opted out last year in what would be a huge boost for the Connacht outfit, but Conor Daly and Cian McKeon are heading travelling.
Manager Burke will be keen to build on a very promising first season in charge when they came close to a Division One final spot while they also picked up a good win over Mayo in the Connacht SFC.
Tyrone
Managers: Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan
Year: Four
Notes: After their heavy All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Kerry, the initial word in the Red Hand County was that Dooher and Logan were going to call it a day at the end of a three-year term that brought a Sam Maguire success followed by two fairly lacklustre campaigns.
The mood changed though and the pair sought out another three-year term, and it was "overwhelmingly endorsed" by delegates at August’s county committee meeting.
It is understood that the Red Hands have been keen to add a prominent coach to their ticket, with outgoing Derry interim manager Ciaran Meenagh, Enda McGinley and Paddy Tally rumoured to have been sounded out about their plans, but nothing came of those links - Meenagh heading to Down, McGinley taking on his native Errigal Ciaran and Tally throwing his lot in with Kerry once again.
The Ulster side will be without one of their on-field generals moving forward as Ronan McNamee has decided to hang up the boots.
DIVISION TWO
Armagh
Manager: Kieran McGeeney
Year: Ten
Notes: A bumpy enough reappointment as Kieran McGeeney’s future was put to a vote of the clubs and various officials in the Orchard County. The end result (46-16) was fairly decisive, but the club vote itself was a lot closer.
It was expected that Kieran Donaghy would end his time with the team, but his ear was bent and he’s back for a fourth season – a huge boost to the side.
The Armagh players, who strongly backed their boss in the press ahead of the vote, were keen for a bit of a freshener though and, as a result, former Derry attacker Conleith Gilligan had been added to the ticket. 'Deets’ was the coach when Kilcoo won the 2021/22 All-Ireland Club title and had been linked to Donegal previously after new Armagh minor boss Aidan O'Rourke stepped down as interim boss.
Cavan
Manager: Raymond Galligan
Year: One
Notes: A surprise candidate to replace Mickey Graham, but once he was in the race it was clear that he had an excellent chance as he fought off Danny Hughes, Jason O’Reilly and Michael McDermott.
The 2020 All-Star brought a stacked backroom team to the table with James Burke remaining in situ while Tyrone legend Stevie O’Neill is part of the ticket as is former Meath ladies All-Ireland winning manager Eamonn Murray.
In all, a backroom team of 19 people were listed ranging from clinical psychologist Paul Gaffney to life coach Catherina McKiernan. Plenty of comment was passed on that extensive list.
Ironically, one of the biggest challenges facing Galligan in his first year is replacing himself in goals. The Lacken man has been one of Cavan’s stars over the last five or so seasons, but there is no chance of Galligan going down the player-manager route.
Cork
Manager: John Cleary
Year: Two
Notes: Good news for John Cleary in the off season as it was confirmed that former Galway boss Kevin Walsh is remaining as his coach for a second season. Walsh’s influence was evident as the Rebels enjoyed a good 2023 campaign which ended with an All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Derry.
Cleary is keen to add new talent to the squad and took in plenty of championship action in the Rebel County – at all levels – in recent months.
They will be on the road for the first few games of the league with a rugby fixture between Munster and the Canterbury Crusaders complicating matters, so it’s up to Donegal in round one before a similar long distance trip to face Ger Brennan’s Louth in round two.
Donegal
Manager: Jim McGuinness
Year: One
Notes: The most high-profile appointment ahead of the new season was undoubtedly up in the Tir Chonaill County as Jim McGuinness returned for a second outing.
Viewed as a Messiah up there by many having secured the county’s second Sam Maguire title in 2012, he will be aiming to revive enthusiasm in a county team that has been slumbering in recent years with on and off-field issues draining motivation.
"I think it would be entirely possible"
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) October 21, 2023
Enda McGinley ponders the possibility of a Michael Murphy comeback and gives an early verdict on Mickey Harte's Derry v Jim McGuinness' Donegal in next year's Ulster SFC QFs
Full provincial draws: https://t.co/5ZI9goCLcU pic.twitter.com/llMkZ2r95k
Some of the ‘12 crew are back to help out – namely Neil McGee and McGuinness’ brother-in-law Colm McFadden – while Luke Barrett, brother of Republic of Ireland striker Amber, is there too. Karl Lacey was rumoured to be leaving Kilcoo to take up a spot on the coaching team, but McGuinness has ruled that out.
Fermanagh
Manager: Kieran Donnelly
Year: Three
Notes: Continuity is key for Fermanagh with Kieran Donnelly maintaining the same backroom team for the 2024 season as the Erne County attempt to build on a 2023 that saw them hit one of their key targets – promotion.
Fermanagh won six of their seven league games in Division 3 - a few late goals proving decisive in Ulster derbies against Down and Antrim – although they did lose the final to Cavan at Croke Park.
ERNE COUNTY HIT BY EXIT OF KEY TRIO
A heavy Ulster loss to Derry looked better as the year continued – Derry falling just short of booking an All-Ireland final berth – but a preliminary quarter-final Tailteann Cup loss to Laois was a poor end to the season. Have lost a lot of important players from last season, including veterans Seán Quigley and Ryan Jones.
Kildare
Manager: Glenn Ryan
Year: Three
Notes: Glenn Ryan is back for a third year and he has attempted to shake things up by adding Colm Nally and Ronan Sweeney to his managerial staff and reassigning Brian Lacey.
Nally, currently manager of Armagh club Silverbridge, will come in as coach with Sweeney set to work with the forwards. Lacey comes in as a selector having previously worked as an analyst.
They will try and make up for the loss of Dermot Earley who has left the set-up to take on a role with the United Nations in Brussels.
Ryan will be suspended for the opening two games of Kildare’s league campaign after comments made in relation to referee Jerome Henry following their narrow All-Ireland quarter-final qualifier loss to Monaghan.
Louth
Manager: Ger Brennan
Year: One
Notes: Louth were in the headlines following Mickey Harte’s shock departure to Derry, but they acted swiftly to appoint Ger Brennan on an initial two-year term with an option for a third.
The two-time Dublin All-Ireland winner has been managing Moorefield in Kildare for the last couple of seasons and has been keen to take the step up to inter-county level having been linked with Monaghan and Laois in recent times.
He brings with him former Down All-Ireland winner James McCartan and DCU professor Niall Moyna as selectors, while David Whyte will serve as transitional coach, Paul O'Flynn as psychologist and James Downey will be high performance and culture coach. Peter Dooley, who had been retained from the Harte set-up, stepped away earlier this week.
Meath
Manager: Colm O’Rourke
Year: Two
Notes: Royal hopes are rising on the back of their 2023 Tailteann Cup success, but there is some change in Colm O’Rourke’s backroom team for the new season.
Paul Garrigan and Eugene Eivers stepped away in August leaving a sizeable gap, but in their place comes one of the county’s greatest ever players, Trevor Giles.
Giles, who won two All-Ireland SFC titles with the county in the 1990s, was previously a selector with the county side during Mick O'Dowd's tenure between 2013 and 2015.
Cian McBride was released by AFL side Essendon in the off-season, and his return would be a major boost for Meath football.
DIVISION THREE
Antrim
Manager: Andy McEntee
Year: Two
Notes: After a promising first season in charge, Andy McEntee has bolstered his backroom team with the addition of Tyrone All-Ireland winner Justin McMahon.
Older brother Joe was a coach as the Red Hands lifted the Sam Maguire in 2021, and while Justin will not have such lofty ambitions with the Saffrons, they will be confident that they can continue to move forward.
One-point losses to Down and Fermanagh ensured that there was no promotion push in Division 3, but they did produce a fine Tailteann Cup campaign with the Ulster side giving eventual champions Meath a real rattle in the Croke Park semi-final.
Clare
Manager: Mark Fitzgerald
Year: One
Notes: For the first time in a decade, Clare will have a new manager at the helm following Colm Collins’ resignation and Mark Fitzgerald’s appointment.
The Kerry man has been handed a two-year term and Seanie Buckley, the former Limerick captain, will be his head coach. Owen Tarrant, formerly with Mayo, will take care of strength and conditioning.
Fitzgerald had been linked to the vacant Limerick position having acted as interim boss last season after Ray Dempsey’s departure. Jimmy Lee ultimately took over in the Treaty County.
Fitzgerald has some bad news to contend with on his arrival following the news that key man and last season’s captain Eoin Cleary will miss next season as he is away travelling.
Down
Manager: Conor Laverty
Year: Two
Notes: A real coup for Conor Laverty as he has convinced Ciaran Meenagh to throw his lot in with the Mourne County who can no longer call on the services of Jim McGuinness given his return to Donegal.
The Tyrone man guided Derry to last year’s Ulster title after Rory Gallagher stood down due to allegations regarding his private life and they very nearly got the better of Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Martin Clarke, who recently returned to playing action with his club An Riocht, and former Tyrone minor manager Mickey Donnelly, remain in situ.
There are growing hopes that brilliant young midfielder Odhran Murdock may turn down the AFL, but with a number of offers believed to be on the table, that remains to be seen.
Limerick
Manager: Jimmy Lee
Year: One
Notes: It’s been a whirlwind 12 months or so for Limerick football. In August 2022 Billy Lee stepped down after six seasons having brought the side all the way up to Division 2. Ray Dempsey replaced him, but his tenure only lasted five competitive games following a meeting of the players. Mark Fitzgerald took over with the Treaty men losing to Clare in the Munster semi-final, before reaching the quarter-finals of the Taiteann Cup.
RAY DEMPSEY QUITS LIMERICK POST AFTER JUST FIVE GAMES
It’s back to Lee for 2024 though, but now it’s Billy’s brother Jimmy who steps in having guided Newcastle West to a number of county titles.
Stephen Kelly, who played for Ireland against Australia 20 years ago in the International Rules Series, is in the backroom while former Treaty manager John Brudair is also there. Micheál Cahill will join the backroom as strength and conditioning lead/coach. Pat Donnelly from Feenagh-Kilmeedy is also on board as a coach/selector.
Offaly
Manager: Declan Kelly
Year: One
Notes: Another new man on the job, Declan Kelly’s progression to the top job seemed almost inevitable having guided the Faithful to the All-Ireland Under-20 title in 2021.
He has previously worked as director of football in the county and has been involved with Offaly underage squads.
His backroom team will include Vinny Mooney – a former Shannonbridge and Offaly footballer who had been with Kilmacud Crokes as they claimed the Andy Merrigan Cup – and Ciaran Kilmurray. David Connolly will also be a selector.
Kelly replaces the outgoing Martin Murphy who stepped down having moved into the role following the death of Liam Kearns last season.
Sligo
Manager: Tony McEntee
Year: Four
Notes: McEntee is back for a fourth season with the Yeats County meaning he is now one of the longest serving bosses in the game.
Good progress last season with promotion from Division 4 and a run to the Connacht final, and with good underage teams coming through, there is hope they can continue to move forward.
The Armagh man has had to shuffle his backroom team given that Colm McFadden has opted to return to his native Donegal to join his brother-in-law Jim McGuinness who returned to the Tir Chonaill County gig.
In comes Kevin McLoughlin, the former Mayo player who only retired in the off-season. He will work with the Sligo forwards primarily.
Westmeath
Manager: Dessie Dolan
Year: Two
Notes: Dessie Dolan enters the second of his initial two-year term – there is an option for a third – and that’s no surprise given how well the Lake County performed in the All-Ireland group stages last year.
For so long they were the better side up in Armagh and only a last-gasp missed John Heslin free against Tyrone prevented them from progressing to the knock-out stages.
Dolan has maintained the same backroom team as last season, meaning that former Dublin star Jason Sherlock is back on board for another campaign.
Wicklow
Manager: Oisín McConville
Year: Two
Notes: Oisín McConville has had to swap things about due to a few exits. Chief amongst them is Paul Kelly who has taken on the number one gig at Tipperary. Coach Joe Cowley is also away, linking up with the Meath minors.
McConville has dug into his Ulster contacts book to snag highly-rated former Down coach Mark Doran who helped Ballybay to the Monaghan title in 2022.
There's also change on the S&C front with Eimear Kelly departing to join Trevor Hilliard's new Louth hurling set-up and Chris Coburn takes on that position.
McConville's first season led to a very impressive promotion, and the Garden County will need to raise their game further to survive in the third tier.
DIVISION FOUR
Carlow
Manager: Niall Carew
Year: Five
Notes: The Kildare man is now one of the longest-serving in the game as he prepares for a fifth season in charge of Carlow.
Selector Victor Doyle will not be here this season, but Simon Rea, Ronan Joyce and former Kildare captain Eamonn Callaghan remain in place. Callaghan’s role will change though as he will act as a coach and selector having previously been a performance coach.
Carew has been keeping an eye on players from all grades and they have high hopes for Junior B player John Phiri from Asca, one of a number of young players set to be given a chance this season.
Laois
Manager: Justin McNulty
Year: One
Notes: Laois were one of the last counties to appoint a new management team after Billy Sheehan’s departure and in the end they dipped into the past as Justin McNulty returned for a second spell having taken care of the O’Moore County in 2011 and ‘12.
The MLA’s acquisition hasn’t been completely smooth with his party, the SDLP in the North, reiterating that the role was "a full-time" one with McNulty in the process of registering the role with the assembly authorities.
Laois legend Ross Munnelly is in as a selector, and he is joined by former Limerick player Diarmuid Carroll. James Clarke, who battled away in nets for Carlow for a number of years in the early 2000s, is their goalkeeping coach.
Leitrim
Manager: Andy Moran
Year: Three
Notes: Mike Solan stepped down as Andy Moran’s assistant citing work commitments, and his replacement is a notable one with Mickey Graham hooking up with the side a couple of months after leaving his role as Cavan boss.
"Andy and myself would be talking over the last number of years on various things so we'd know each other quite well," Graham said of the move.
It was a tough old run for Moran and his players in 2023. Three wins in their first four league games pointed to a promotion charge but three straight losses put the knife in that.
Then there was that famous – infamous in Leitrim – Connacht loss to New York before the side lost all three Tailteann Cup group games.
Big improvements will be expected this coming year.
London
Manager: Michael Maher
Year: Five
Notes: Michael Maher has told RTÉ Sport that it's business as usual in the London management team, so it’s same as it was for 2023 with the like of Lorcan Mulvey, Michael Boyle, Gavin McEvoy and Dominic Mulligan involved.
The league performance was disappointing last season with just one point recorded in Division 4, an opening day draw in Wexford. They were competitive in a number of other games though so it’s not as if they are a million miles away.
Came close to reaching the knockout stages of the Tailteann Cup as they led eventual finalists by a point with seconds remaining, Derry native Enda Lynn with their goal, but Niall Corbett pointed in the fourth minute of additional time to save the O’Moore County – and condemn the Exiles.
Longford
Manager: Paddy Christie
Year: Two
Notes: Dubliner Paddy Christie is back in charge for a second season as they try and respond to last year’s relegation to the bottom tier. They did win what was just their fourth O’Byrne Cup though while their first-half showing against Down in the Tailteann Cup was mightily impressive – bar the finishing.
Christie has lost his selector Michael Kenny, and he is replaced by Gareth Johnston who twice managed the county’s minor side.
Young starlet Matt Duffy won't be breaking into the senior squad any time soon as he is heading to AFL club Carlton, although a cruciate injury will see his professional debut delayed by a year.
Tipperary
Manager: Paul Kelly
Year: One
Notes: Paul Kelly spent last year in Wicklow with Oisín McConville but his move to a number one position felt inevitable given he had been linked with a number of positions prior.
The Thomas Davis clubman led his side to a first Dublin SFC final appearance in 28 years in 2019, Ballyboden winning by six points, while he has also been in charge of Kildare outfit Naas.
Hugh Kenny and Paddy O'Connor have been named as selectors, with Adrian O'Brien, Michael O'Sullivan, Paul Fitzgerald and Michael Byrnes comprising the remainder of the new backroom team.
Waterford
Manager: Paul Shankey
Year: One
Notes: Waterford had no easy time appointing their new manager, but in the end Paul Shankey – a 1999 All-Ireland winner with Meath – was handed a two-year term.
Former Kerry boss Peter Keane had been heavily linked with the role, left absent following Ephie Fitzgerald’s decision to step down, but that never came to pass.
Although a Meath man, Shankey is based in Waterford and has coached extensively with the Portlaw club there.
His management team will include Carrick Davins’ Mikey Cronin, who will also serve as Waterford U20 manager next season.
Wexford
Manager: John Hegarty
Year: Two
Notes: Not content with the pressure that comes with being an inter-county manager, John Hegarty has taken up the role of mayor of Wexford.
It’s from the front pages to the back again though as the new season comes into view.
The backroom team remains largely the same but Hegarty has recruited Brian O Connor from Kerry. The Templenoe man has been involved with Kilmacud Crokes and DCU previously.
Robbie Brooks is travelling in 2024 so will not be available for selection.
New York
Manager: Alan O'Mara
Year: One
Notes: With Johnny McGeeney's successful tenure as manager coming to an end, the highlight being the famous Connacht win over Leitrim, New York have again opted for an Ulster option with former Cavan player Alan O’Mara jumping into the hot seat.
Former New York captain Ronan McGinley will act as coach while Jeff Farrell, David McNamara and Dean O’Donnell are the selectors.
Former goalkeeper Mick Cunningham is player development coach with Sean Kelly looking after the S&C. Sinead Burns is the team’s manual therapist and physio.
The American outfit will face Mayo in the Bronx in the Connacht championship next year.
