McGeeney voted to remain, Dooher and Logan set to continue

ANOTHER YEAR: Kieran McGeeney is to remain as Armagh manager for a tenth season. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Kieran McGeeney, the longest serving manager in the inter-county game, will remain in charge of Armagh for a 10th year he was ratified for the 2024 season.

The majority of club delegates voted in favour of McGeeny remaining on as manager, winning on a margin of 46-16.

A number of players including Aidan Forker, Ethan Rafferty and Aaron McKay have publicly offered support for McGeeney staying at the helm and it’s understood as a group the players have also done likewise privately with suggestions a strong addition to the coaching team would be welcomed.

Over the last two seasons Armagh have faced Division One teams 22 times in both league and championship and only lost on one occasion by more than three points to Donegal in the 2022 Ulster championship.

Armagh’s championship seasons in the last two years have ended in penalty shoot-out losses in back-to-back All-Ireland quarter-finals while missing out on an Ulster title in a similar manner to Derry in May.

McGeeney joined Armagh as head coach in 2014 under Paul Grimley and was appointed manager the following season. McGeeney has gone on to become the longest serving manager in the game after Colm Collins ended his 10-year Clare reign after their 2023 championship exit.

Meanwhile, Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher are expected to be ratified for a new term as Tyrone joint managers at Tuesday evening’s meeting of the county committee.

The pair have put their names forward, and it’s understood no other candidates are in contention for the vacant position.

Logan and Dooher completed their three-year term last month when their team exited the All-Ireland series in a quarter-final defeat to Kerry.

It is anticipated that they will be given another three-year agreement which will keep them in charge until the end of the 2026 season.

Dooher and Logan were appointed in November 2020. While the last two seasons have been disappointing in terms of performance and achievement, their tenure will be regarded as a success, having delivered an All-Ireland title in year one, when the Red Hands claimed the Sam Maguire Cup for the fourth time in 2021.

It had been anticipated that the pair, both with demanding professional careers to attend to, would decide to step away, but it appears they feel that they have unfinished business to address, with a firm conviction that their talented team has under-performed and failed to fulfil its potential since achieving the ultimate triumph two years ago.

The players would welcome the return of this year’s management team, and some have voiced their desire to continue to work with Logan and Dooher.

Attacker Darragh Canavan recently expressed the views of the squad, saying they are supportive of the maintenance of the status quo.

There is speculation that some of the more senior players will give serious consideration to the prospect of retirement from inter-county football.

A number of squad members are now in their thirties, including Mattie Donnelly, who has been ruled out for the rest of this season with a knee injury, Ronan McNamee, Peter Harte and Niall Sludden, and may give some thought to the issue of whether they are willing to commit to another campaign in 2024.

Following the instant success that saw the Tyrone management pair lead the Red Hands to an All-Ireland title in their first year in charge, but the team has struggled for form in the two seasons since then.

They made an early exit from the Ulster Championship in both, and failed to progress in the Qualifiers in 2022 and in this year’s All-Ireland series.

Last year, a quarter-final defeat to Derry was followed by a Qualifier loss to Armagh and an early exit from the Sam Maguire Cup title race.

This year’s Championship campaign began in similar fashion with a second successive home exit from the Anglo-Celt Cup, this time at the hands of Monaghan at O’Neills Healy Park.

Tyrone subsequently finished third in their group in the new All-Ireland round robin format, before scoring a convincing preliminary quarter-final victory over Donegal at Ballybofey.

But the feelings of optimism were ruthlessly erased by a rampant Kerry side at Croke Park in the quarter-final, with the Kingdom dominating their Ulster rivals in the second half to run out 2-18 to 0-12 winners.

Since the 2021 Sam Maguire Cup triumph, Tyrone have added an All-Ireland U20 title, and a combination of experience stars and exciting young talent has been assembled.

But the future is uncertain, and the process remains at a standstill until the 2024 management is confirmed, which could well happen with the ratification of Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher tonight.