Help from the outside: Distance no barrier to building the dream backroom team

At our count, we have 27 'outside' individuals operating as selectors, trainers, and goalkeeping and strength and conditioning coaches.

Kieran Donaghy is one of 27 'outside' individuals operating as selectors, trainers, and goalkeeping and strength and conditioning coaches with his role in Armagh under Kieran McGeeney

Of the 31 competing football counties in the country, it might be mildly surprising to note that 14 have what could broadly be termed ‘outside’ managers.

There is one that slightly blurs the lines.

Like Kevin McStay before him, Anthony Cunningham played for another Connacht county, but his family are rooted in Roscommon GAA.

Munster have the least, with Cork man Shane Ronayne now taking Waterford the sole example of an outside manager.

In a province of 11 footballing counties, Leinster have six managerial guests; Louth (Mickey Harte), Offaly (John Maughan), Laois (Mike Quirke), Kildare (Jack O’Connor), Carlow (Niall Carew), and Wicklow (Davy Byrne).

The majority of Connacht counties have outside help. Roscommon have the aforementioned Anthony Cunningham, Leitrim have Terry Hyland, and Sligo have enlisted Tony McEntee.

Four counties in Ulster have taken the step; Antrim (Enda McGinley), Down (Paddy Tally), Derry (Rory Gallagher), and Fermanagh (Ryan McMenamin).

What is most surprising however are the sheer numbers from outside counties, under the manager.

At our count, we have 27 individuals operating as selectors, trainers, and goalkeeping and strength and conditioning coaches.

Some of them are seriously high-profile individuals, with enormous miles to get to training.

Others are less-heralded, without glittering careers but still making an impact within counties.

Of the most high profile, the biggest shock over the winter was the recruitment of former Kerry player Kieran Donaghy to the Armagh backroom team.

Manager Kieran McGeeney decided a radical shake-up was in order for his seventh year in charge and while some backroom members departed, he introduced Donaghy and Ciaran McKeever.

Donaghy lives in Tralee, and the car journey is a staggering 428km to Armagh city, where they do the majority of their training.

Donie Buckley was a significant addition to the Monaghan coaching stable to offset the loss of Conor Laverty.

Seamus McEnaney managed to persuade the native Kerryman to make regular journeys from his home in Limerick to their Clooghan training base, a distance of 318km.

Stephen Rochford is remaining with Declan Bonner and Donegal, a journey that takes him over the three figures mark to their new training base in Convoy, while Paddy Christie’s journeys south from Dublin to Tipperary are also significant.

Of the outside influencers, some are strongly part of the balls and bibs tradition of coaching.

The Louth players will enjoy the expertise of Gavin Devlin as they import last year’s Tyrone set up.

Roscommon will have Steven Poacher of Down blowing the whistle at their sessions. Gerry McGowan of Sligo is now helping Colm Collins in Clare.

Ciaran Meenagh (Tyrone) is with Derry. Maurice Horan (Limerick) is with Laois.

Father and son combo Brian and Paul McIver of Derry are part of Ryan McMenamin’s Fermanagh backroom team, while two Tyrone Stevie’s — O’Neill and Quinn — will be with Enda McGinley in Antrim.

Over in Down, Paddy Tally’s backroom is made up of Gavin McGilly and Stephen Beattie (Tyrone), along with Ciaran Kearney (Antrim).

Ulster champions Cavan have Martin Corey — brother of Vinny — as a coach, and Down’s Andre Quinn as head of athletic development.

Former Galway player John Donnellan is part of the Longford management and former Offaly manager Emmet McDonnell, from Westmeath, was tacked onto the Kildare management since January.

One that has flown slightly under the radar was the inclusion of Dublin’s 2011 All-Ireland winner, Ger Brennan, who is in with Niall Carew at Carlow, after impressing during a spell as Bray Emmetts in Wicklow, knocking Rathnew out of the domestic Championship.

Colm Nally, himself from Dublin but with strong links to coaching in Louth, has been embedded in the Meath set-up for some time.

Others can be considered to be a ‘naturalised’ outsiders.

Jason McGahan is from Armagh but has worked in Athletic Development for Kildare, and now Kerry and comes in for warm praise.

Cian O’Neill has been living and working in Cork for years and having spent time coaching Kerry and managing his native Kildare, is now in Ronan McCarthy’s backroom.

Charlie McKeever is in with Tipperary, but at this stage he has been identified with the Munster county for much longer than his native Donegal.

Paul Durcan is living in Sligo, and will be coaching their goalkeepers this season.

Time was that an outside manager would have to recruit a backroom from inside the county boundaries.

Now, the trend is to recruit quality, no matter the distances. As a barometer of how the game is being professionalised, it is a fairly compelling one.

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