Football

Slaughtneil and Terence McWilliams part company

Slaughtneil and Terence McWilliams have parted company after just three months. Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / Sportsfile
Slaughtneil and Terence McWilliams have parted company after just three months. Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / Sportsfile Slaughtneil and Terence McWilliams have parted company after just three months. Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / Sportsfile

ULSTER club champions Slaughtneil have confirmed that they have parted company with manager Terence McWilliams “by mutual consent” after just three months in charge.

The south Derry club last year became only the second team in history to win four consecutive Oak Leaf titles, and collected a third provincial crown in four years under Mickey Moran.

Along with John Joe Kearney and Paddy Flynn, they stepped down following their All-Ireland club semi-final defeat by Nemo Rangers in February.

It took the club until early April to appoint a replacement, with Kilrea native McWilliams being handed the reins ahead of former Antrim boss Liam Bradley.

He was assisted by fellow Kilrea man Vinny McKenna, and had a backroom team containing five hometown men including Co McEldowney and the long-serving Willie Hampson.

In a statement last night, the club thanked McWilliams for his efforts and said that they hoped his and McKenna’s talents “will not be lost to the GAA”.

“The club confirms officially that Terence McWilliams has left his position as Slaughtneil senior football team manager by mutual consent,” read the statement.

“On behalf of the club, I want to thank Terence and his assistant Vinny McKenna for their professional approach and commitment to the role over the past few months.

“The club offers them every best wish for the future and trust that their talents will not be lost to the GAA.

“The club is delighted to have won the Dr Kerlin Cup in the last week as the first south Derry club to have achieved this honour.

“We now look forward to completing our league programme and moving forward ahead in defence of our senior championship trophy.

“As of today [Monday], there is no official announcement from the club on new management, but we hope to fill this position as soon as possible. Go raibh maith agat.”

They had won five and drawn one of their six Division One league games under McWilliams before it broke up for the summer back in May, since when they’d won seven and drawn one in league stage of the reformed Dr Kerlin Cup.

Slaughtneil then beat Kilrea in last weekend’s final to become the first south Derry club ever to win the competition, which had previously been for north Derry clubs only.

The five in-house men that served under McWilliams, namely McEldowney, Hampson and recent former players Padrig Kelly, Fergal McEldowney and Kevin O’Neill, are expected to put their name forward as a collective ticket.

However, nothing is likely to be confirmed on that front until the end of the week at least.

Having only ever won one county title prior to 2014, the Emmet’s are this year seeking to become the first club in history to win the Derry football title five years in-a-row.