PADDY Carr and Aidan O’Rourke have emerged as the favourites to take over as joint managers of the Donegal senior footballers.
After Declan Bonner’s departure it had been assumed that former Donegal midfielder Kavanagh would take over the county reins when he had finished this season with the St Eunan’s club. The Letterkenny outfit lost to Naomh Conaill in the championship final last Saturday and since then Kavanagh has decided against taking the job meaning that, three months’ since Bonner’s departure, the Donegal county board is still searching to put a new management team in place.
Former Louth manager O’Rourke, who has also had stints as assistant-manager at Armagh and with James McCartan at Down last season, has been installed as favourite on a joint-ticket with Carr.
Fanad native Carr is a former Donegal player who has also previously managed Louth and guided Kilmacud Croke’s to the All-Ireland club title in 2009. He was interviewed for the job in 2014 and was in the running for the position again three years later after Rory Gallagher resigned.
He lost out to Bonner on that occasion and the Naomh Brid clubman guided the county to back-to-back Ulster titles in 2018 and 2019 and to the finals of 2020 and 2022 which the Tir Chonaill men lost to Cavan and Derry respectively. The end of the road for Bonner came against Armagh in the All-Ireland Qualifiers last season. Donegal had beaten the Orchardmen comfortably in the Ulster Championship but bowed out in the rematch after a lacklustre display.
All-Ireland-winning skipper Michael Murphy was mentioned as a possible candidate for the role. Murphy is approaching the end of his glittering playing career but it is understood that he has no intention to move into management until he hangs up his boots.
His former team-mate Karl Lacey was another name touted for the position but Lacey is manager of the Donegal Academy and that is where his focus will remain for the foreseeable future.
