THERE is unlikely to be a new Donegal manager in place until next week at the earliest.
It had been thought that a successor to Rory Gallagher could be ratified at last night’s meeting of the Donegal county committee but, with the interview process still ongoing, that will not be the case.
Following the withdrawal of ex-Glenswilly boss Gary McDaid and former Monaghan manager Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney from the race last week, it is now between Declan Bonner, Cathal Corey and Sean Paul Barrett.
The five-person selection panel, which comprises county chairman Sean Dunnion, secretary Aideen Gillen and treasurer Cieran Kelly alongside former players Paddy Carr and Damien Diver, held a first interview with the remaining candidates last week.
All three were asked back for a second round of interviews, understood to have taken place on Sunday, and a final decision is unlikely to be made until next week.
Bonner remains the strong favourite for the post he previously held from 1997-2000, having worked with several members of the current senior side at underage level.
The Na Rossa clubman led the Donegal minors to an Ulster minor title in 2014, when they went on to lose to Kerry in the All-Ireland final.
He then took over the reins of the U21s in 2016 before leading them to the 2017 Ulster title back in April when goals from Lorcan Connor, Ethan O'Donnell and Michael Carroll saw them past neighbours Derry.
Corey, meanwhile, is currently in charge of Truagh Gaels in Monaghan but has strong Donegal connections through his involvement with Naomh Conaill around the turn of the decade.
The Tyrone native worked alongside Jim McGuinness at the former Donegal boss’s native club in 2009 and that season, as joint managers, they led Glenties to the Donegal championship final where they were defeated by St Eunan’s.
However the following year, after McGuinness had left to take over the Tir Chonaill U21s, Corey stayed on as boss and guided the Glenties club to a first county title in five years, defeating Killybegs in the final.
Naomh Conaill went all the way to the Ulster Club final but fell short when they came up against Crossmaglen.
In recent years, Corey has also been involved with Ulster University Jordanstown, Slaughtneil and Banagher.
He was previously nominated and interviewed for the Donegal job in 2014 when Gallagher got the nod.
Sean Paul Barrett has been Donegal’s minor manager for the last two years, the Milford man leading them to the Ulster Minor League and Championship double in 2016 before bowing out to Galway in the last four of the All-Ireland series.
This year didn’t go so well though as Donegal lost to Antrim in the first round of the Ulster Championship. Barrett has also been linked with the vacant county U20 job.
The managerial merry-go-round began after Gallagher decided to walk away three years after replacing McGuinness in the Tir Chonaill hot seat.
His young Donegal side had suffered a disappointing Ulster Championship semi-final hammering at the hands of Tyrone and, despite rallying with wins over Longford and Meath, were outclassed by Galway in the All-Ireland Qualifiers, losing 4-17 to 0-14.
Since leaving that post, Gallagher has been strongly linked with a return to his native Fermanagh.
