Jim Gavin no longer in running for Galway football job

Former Dublin football player and manager Jim Gavin, left, and Irish professional golfer Paul McGinley during day three of the Amgen Irish Open Golf Championship 2026 at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Clare. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Galway hope to have a new senior football manager in place early next month even though clubs in the county did not propose anyone for the position by Friday’s deadline for nominations.

And it is believed that former Dublin manager Jim Gavin, strongly considered within the county for the position up to the weekend, is no longer a contender despite several conversations with officials and others in Galway.

It’s understood several discreet expressions of interest have been made to the Galway county board as they try to find a successor to Pádraic Joyce who stepped down earlier this month after seven years in charge.

The expressions of interest have come from both within the county and outside but considerable speculation that Gavin was being lined up has cooled in recent days and it is believed he is no longer regarded as a contender.

County board delegates were this week told that the search for a new manager was ongoing and that they hope to have him appointed by the second weekend in October when the senior and intermediate club semi-finals are scheduled to take place.

County board officials will consider the confidential expressions of interest they have received in the coming days with a view towards setting up interviews as they continue the search for a successor to Joyce who brought them to two All-Ireland finals in his stint in charge and landed four Connacht titles, having reached the provincial final in each of his seven seasons as manager.

Galway have not had an outside manager since Tomás Ó Flatharta’s sole year in charge in 2011. Since then Alan Mulholland (three years), Kevin Walsh (five years) and Joyce have managed Galway.

Liam Sammon was the only Galway native among the previous four managers with Mayo’s John O’Mahony guiding them to All-Ireland glory in 1998 and 2001, while Mayo's Peter Ford and Joe Kernan from Armagh also had stints in charge.