Meath outfit Dunshaughlin capture services of Darren Daly for 2026

Dublin's Darren Daly. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Top Meath club Dunshaughlin have pulled off a significant coup by landing Darren Daly as a coach for 2026.

Daly won six All-Irelands as a defender for Dublin before turning to coaching and winning two more under Dessie Farrell in 2020 and 2023.

The Fingal Ravens man was part of Farrell's backroom team for the 2025 Championship which ended with an All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Tyrone.

Farrell stepped down after that and Daly has now crossed the border to team up with 2024 Meath SFC champions Dunshaughlin.

Former Meath star Richie Kealy managed the village to that '24 triumph and has returned as boss for a three-year term, along with Tom Clarke.

Dunshaughlin will hope that Daly can have the same sort of impact as another former Dublin defender, Paul Curran, who coached the club in 2024. Curran's father, Noel, played for Dunshaughlin and won an All-Ireland title with the Royal County in 1967.

The Village club were defeated at the semi-final stage of this year's Meath SFC by eventual winners Summerhill after extra-time. Kealy, an All-Ireland winner with Meath in 1999, takes over as manager from his brother, Kevin.

Dunshaughlin collected intermediate and senior titles during Richie's first three-year term.