Laois, Tipperary and Waterford are still without a senior football manager for 2024. However, that’s not a problem for the counties in the top divisions where all the managers have been re-appointed or new appointments made well in advance of the National football and hurling leagues which are due to start at the end of January.
Last week the Dublin County Board confirmed that Dessie Farrell will continue as their manager for at least two more years, Derek Lyng, who replaced Brian Cody in Kilkenny last year, was ratified for another year as hurling coach and John Kiely has committed to Limerick for just one more year.
After replacing Jim Gavin in 2020, Dessie Farrell led The Dubs to their sixth consecutive Sam Maguire Cup triumph but they were beaten at the semi-final stage in 2021 and 2022. However, last July saw the Dubs with several senior players like Stephen Cluxton, Jack McCaffrey and Paul Mannion back in their team, overcome Kerry on All-Ireland final day. The opposition in Leinster is still weak.
Farrell will find some familiar names in opposing dug-outs when it come to the knock out stages of the championship. Kerry’s Jack O’Connor was naturally disappointed with the loss to Dublin, but in the final Kerry’s star man David Clifford had an off day.
O’Connor has won the Sam Maguire Cup four times during his previous terms in charge and Kerry supporters will be hoping that Jack can bring back Sam for a fifth time in 2024. Elsewhere much will be expected of Mickey Harte in Derry. It was a controversial appointment when Harte left Louth to become Derry manager. Mickey has good pedigree have won the Sam Maguire Cup three times with the Red Hand. Ulster is always a very competitive province in football and after a few dismal years Donegal has turned to Jim McGuinness, who took Sam back to the hills of Donegal in 2012. Donegal were relegated from Division One of the National League last season, but McGuinness obviously thinks there is still enough talent in his native county to win something.
