Brian Flanagan favourite to become new Kildare manager

Flanagan pictured at Croke Park in Dublin ahead of the EirGrid GAA Football U20 All-Ireland Final

Brian Flanagan is considered the firm favourite to become the next Kildare senior football manager.

Former Lilywhite selector and defender Flanagan guided Kildare’s U20s to an All-Ireland title last year, reaching a decider the season before and claiming back-to-back Leinster championships.

Fresh from that successful 2023 campaign, Flanagan last October coached Summerhill to their first Meath senior football title in 10 years having helped them to the final in '22.

Speaking 12 months ago after he ended his three seasons as the county’s U20 manager, Flanagan expressed his interest in senior management. “I have no plans just yet, but I am keen to get back into senior management, whether that is club or inter-county I don’t know just yet.” 

It’s understood Flanagan was offered a number of positions at the end of last year but declined them and is now regarded as the standout candidate to replace Glenn Ryan, who announced the end of his three seasons at the helm following last month’s Tailteann Cup quarter-final loss to Laois.

A bad knee injury compelled Johnstownbridge clubman Flanagan to retire from inter-county football at the age of 29 in 2014. He was the county’s junior manager prior to becoming a senior Kildare selector to Cian O’Neill for the 2016 season.

In September 2020, he took the U20 position initially on a two-year basis with selectors Emmet Bolton, Mark Scanlon and Brian Lacey. Flanagan oversaw the 2023 All-Ireland final win over Sligo having lost out to Tyrone in the ’22 showdown. In both seasons, they defeat Dublin in the Leinster final.

As the Kildare County Board’s management meet this week to agree the appointments process, Kildare native Davy Burke would also be considered a possibility to succeed Ryan. However, he is expected to remain in charge of Roscommon for the final of his three-year term. Burke brought Kildare to an All-Ireland U20 title in 2018 before leading Sarsfields to a senior county title a year later.

Former Derry manager Rory Gallagher’s name has also been linked to the vacancy. The Fermanagh man is currently coaching Monaghan club team Corduff having had his temporary barring imposed by the Ulster Council overturned by the Disputes Resolution Authority in February.

However, Flanagan is regarded as the first-choice to oversee a Kildare team that will start their 2025 season in Division 3 but will have a bye to the Leinster SFC quarter-finals should the structure of the competition remain.