1 day Ago By [email protected] (Kieran Cunningham)
It's no real surprise that Rory Gallagher has a new coaching post with Naas. He always saw himself as a career coach, and his CV shows he's open to opportunities wherever they arise. As a player, he represented Cavan as well as his native Fermanagh, and he played club football in Dublin and Antrim, for good measure.
As a coach, he worked closely with Jim McGuinness won the 2012 All-Ireland with Donegal. READ MORE: What we learned from first game under new football rules as Kildare and Galway faced off READ MORE: Westmeath GAA announce the inter-county retirement of John Heslin He went on to manage Fermanagh to a rare Ulster final, before a spell in charge of Donegal and then he guided Derry to their first Ulster title in 24 years in 2022. Unless you've been living under a rock for a couple of years, though, you'll know why Gallagher's latest coaching move is making headlines.
Derry were one of the favourites for the 2023 All-Ireland but, a couple of days before their Ulster final with Armagh that year, Gallagher stepped away from the position. His move came in the wake of Gallagher's estranged wife, Nicola, posting allegations of domestic abuse against him on social media. Gallagher stood down and released a statement through a solicitor in May, 2023, stating that the allegations had been "investigated and dealt with by the relevant authorities''.
Four months later, it was revealed that Gallagher had been ''temporarily debarred, without prejudice" while an independent safeguarding panel investigated those allegations on behalf of Ulster GAA. The barring order was lifted last February after a hearing before the GAA's Disputes Resolution Authority. This meant that Gallagher was free to return to coaching and management.
But when it was revealed that he was in the frame to return to the Derry post a couple of months ago, there was a considerable backlash - with former All-Ireland winner Gary Coleman stating he would no longer go to the county's games if that happened. In September, it seemed as if Gallagher's hopes of returning were dashed when the Derry County Board issued a statement saying that he was ''not in consideration for the position''. There was still a push from some influential figures to get Gallagher back, but it never happened.
He was involved in coaching last year, though, working with Clonduff in Monaghan, alongside manager Seamus McEnaney. On the Farney Army podcast, McEnaney made it clear how highly he rated Gallagher, and put forward his view that Derry were lax in allowing him to slip through their fingers. "In my eyes, Rory Gallagher is different gravy to anything I have ever seen in my life.
He thinks about the game differently, he has every player in Corduff thinking about the game differently - he is different gravy, he has easily the best football brain I've ever come across,'' said McEnaney. "I have no grey area, the Derry County Board showed absolutely no balls, if there is not a better word there. They showed no bravery, and no balls to not reappoint Rory Gallagher.
" The Gallagher situation made national headlines in 2023 and there is plenty of support out there for his estranged wife, Nicola. But there are signs that this will be a tricky situation for Naas to navigate. There have been some calls on social media to boycott the club and calls for questions to be put to the club's sponsors.
The DRA's decision nearly a year ago meant Gallagher free to return to the sideline. That has been as a coach, so far. You can be sure it's only a matter of time until he manages again.
If it's in the high profile world of inter-county football, the GAA will be in uncharted territory. Who knows what the reaction will be? To keep up to date with all the latest GAA news, sign-up to our GAA newsletter here..
