Beyond the garden gate: Are inter-county GAA teams ready to turn native?

The number of native managers in inter-county football and hurling has grown to 28

Moyle Rovers man Niall Fitzgerald recently took over as Tipperary football manager. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

An inventory of the 62 senior inter-county managers on the island of Ireland finds over 43% of them can be considered outside.

With Tipperary having replaced the late Philly Ryan with Moyle Rovers man Niall Fitzgerald as their football boss and Louth earlier this month announcing Paddy McArdle and Diarmuid Murphy are stepping up from their roles as selectors to take over the hurlers with Laois native Derek Dunne, the number of native managers is set to grow to 28, 14 in football.

The large proportion of outside managers is worth noting as momentum grows behind moves to phase out the non-native appointments at county and club level. Munster GAA are aspiring to make every club in the province self-sufficient by 2030, while the games development committee have similar ideas about clubs and counties only being permitted to make appointments from within.

Whether special dispensation could be made for lower-level football and especially hurling counties remains to be seen but there are concerted efforts being made to ensure units are more self-sufficient.

It is also hoped native-only managers may also alleviate the costs of preparing teams especially at inter-county level where the total bill for 2026 is expected to come close to €50 million. However, three of the four counties who have never appointed an outside manager to both or one of their senior set-ups were among the top eight spenders in 2024.

Only four counties – Cork (both codes), Kerry (football), Kilkenny (hurling) and Tipperary (hurling) – can categorically state they have never made an outside appointment. Although, three of the counties had coaches from other counties this year – Kevin Walsh (Galway) and Donal O’Rourke (Waterford) in Cork, Cian O’Neill (Kildare) in Kerry and David Herity (Kilkenny) in Tipperary – while Niall Corcoran (Galway) will assist Kilkenny in 2026.

The last/latest outside manager for each of the 32 counties

All eight Division 1 teams in football next year will be led by native managers compared to five in Division 4 and that excludes London’s Michael Maher who goes into his sixth season in charge and was the team’s first London-born boss.

In hurling’s Division 1A this coming season, all but one county, Offaly who have Galway’s Johnny Kelly at the helm, will be managed by one of their own. In Division 1B, three of the seven will be led by outside managers – Antrim (Davy Fitzgerald, Clare), Carlow (Pat Bennett, Waterford) and Kildare (Brian Dowling, Kilkenny).

As things stand, in football Laois are the county that have gone the longest – 15 years – without a native manager when Seán Dempsey was in charge. Portlaoise-based Mick Lillis was appointed in the meantime but hails from Clare. Roscommon’s Mark Dowd was the county’s first inside man since Des Newton 13 years ago.

In terms of Liam MacCarthy and Joe McDonagh Cup hurling, Kildare haven’t had one of their own leading their team since Morgan Lalor in 2005. Before new manager Kevin O’Brien, Westmeath had not had a native in the bainisteoir bib since Michael Cosgrove in 2001.

The likes of Dublin and Tyrone might claim they never appointed from outside, per se. Mayo’s Tommy Lyons had been living in Dublin for several years and attached to Kilmacud Crokes before he took over from Tommy Carr who himself hails from Tipperary but had been a member of Lucan Sarsfields and captained his adopted county.

Similarly, current Tyrone manager and Fermanagh native Malachy O’Rourke has been living in Ballygawley for over 30 years. O’Rourke’s fellow countyman Johnny Donnelly has previously managed The Red Hand County having laid down roots in Trillick with whom he won five county titles.

Another man considered domiciled at this stage is Kilmoyley man and former Kerry hurler Christy Walsh in Kilkenny who was appointed their football manager earlier this year.