Paddy Carr confirmed as new Donegal senior football manager

NEW TICKET: Paddy Carr, left, appointed the new Donegal senior manager and Aidan O'Rourke, right, named as Head Coach during the Donegal GAA media conference at the GAA Centre of Excellence in Convoy, Donegal. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Donegal’s wait for new management finally came to a conclusion with Paddy Carr ratified on Monday night as senior team manager on a two-year term, with a review after one year.

Carr’s head coach will be Armagh’s 2002 All-Ireland winner Aidan O’Rourke, who is currently employed as Performance Sport Manager in Queen’s University in Belfast. The backroom team will be announced in due course.

Carr, who is a clubman of Gaeil Fhánada, played senior intercounty football for Donegal intermittently between 1980 and 1987 and, based just outside of Ardee, has stepped aside from his position as headmaster at Navan's Colaiste na Mi in Johnstown.

“I acknowledge the privilege it is to be head of the Donegal senior management team,” Carr said. “I am very grateful for the faith shown in me and Aidan and we are aware of the responsibility. Not everyone gets the chance to do the job that they love. My heart is full of gratitude. I will put my body, soul, heart and mind into Donegal football.

“Most of you don't know me, in time you will come to. I am a passionate Donegal man, who lives, sleeps and eats football. We will be doing everything in our power to facilitate Donegal football becoming the best."

The duo were put before a specially convened sitting of county committee at the Donegal GAA Centre in Convoy.

County chairman Mick McGrath told delegates from the 40 clubs in attendance that having formed a three-person selection committee, they had spoken to 2012 All-Ireland winning manager Jim McGuinness, 2012, four-time All-Star Karl Lacey, who is Head of Academy Development at Donegal GAA, 1992 Footballer of the Year Martin McHugh and Shaun Paul Barrett - the father of Republic of Ireland striker Amber - who took Donegal to the 2016 Ulster Minor Championship.

There were also interviews with Carr, O’Rourke and Rory Kavanagh, who was understood to be the frontrunner for the position. Kavanagh, an All-Ireland winning midfielder in 2012, managed St Eunan’s of Letterkenny to the 2021 Donegal SFC and last Saturday week, saw his team defeated by Naomh Conaill of Glenties on a 1-9 to 2-5 scoreline in Ballybofey in the domestic decider. 

In the days that followed, it was learned that his interest in the Donegal position had cooled with a joint-ticket of Carr and O’Rourke then emerging as the frontrunners.

Bonner, who also managed Donegal from 1998 to 2000, resigned on July 20 as manager following a five-year stint that yielded Ulster SFC titles in both 2018 and 2019, losing the provincial decider in 2020 and 2022 against Derry. Donegal then exited the All-Ireland qualifiers when they were beaten by Armagh on a 3-17 to 0-16 scoreline on June 12.

O’Rourke has been working in sports development at Queen’s University since 2011, has an MSc in Sports Management and is accredited as a coach tutor.

“You need the feedback,” Carr added. “It’s a review and if we had five years we would have a review after each year. Aidan and I go back a bit and we would have mutual friends. There has to be a meeting of minds and when it became apparent we were both involved in the process, we had to work as one mind. We have our expectations. We believe there is enormous potential.

“I know I don’t have the usual accent you would hear at Fanad Head, but I just love Donegal and wearing that jersey was the proudest thing I ever did and that never left me. The new training centre here is stunning. It’s something the county should be very proud of.”