Latest: Rory Gallagher will not now join Naas as coach

GAA officials in Croke Park contacted the Kildare club in the wake of the announcement

U-TURN: Rory Gallagher's appointment as coach to the Naas footballers won't go ahead 

Rory Gallagher will not be Naas senior footballers’ new coach following a club executive meeting on Sunday night.

The former Derry, Donegal and Fermanagh manager was set to be part of Joe Murphy’s management team for the season ahead as they look to claim a fifth consecutive Kildare SFC title.

Following Sunday’s news that Gallagher was coming on board in place of Kevin Downes, GAA president Jarlath Burns emailed the Naas club to express his misgivings about the development.

Although Gallagher was cleared to manage and coach teams following an appeal to the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) last year, it is believed Burns stressed his appointment in Naas might conflict with the association's core values.

Burns’ intervention is a considerable one and may yet have implications. Gallagher continues to coach Monaghan club Corduff and will do so into 2025.

Local reaction in Naas to the report of the Fermanagh native joining the club had been mixed. Unrest about the appointment prompted the executive members to meet on Sunday when it was agreed Gallagher would not be assisting Murphy this season.

The 46-year-old stepped down as Derry manager days prior to the 2023 Ulster final win over Armagh following allegations of domestic abuse made against him by his estranged wife Nicola. Although there was a PSNI investigation, no charges were pressed.

In February of last year, Gallagher successfully contested a temporary barring order imposed upon him by the Ulster Council. The DRA ruled the province’s decision “was not disproportionate on the facts of the case”.

It is the second managerial controversy for Naas in the last four years. In 2021, Paul Kelly stepped down as manager prior to a county semi-final. A player-management team led by Eoin Doyle took over and the club claimed their first senior county title before Murphy took over the following season.