County chairman Peter Fitzpatrick admits that he is “disappointed” and “heartbroken” by Mickey Harte’s departure as Louth senior football team manager but has already begun arranging a process to appoint the Tyrone-native’s successor.
Harte, along with his assistant Gavin Devlin, met Fitzpatrick on Monday morning to inform him of their resignation as confirmation of their appointment to the helm of Ulster champions Derry moves closer.
The Clan na Gael clubman oversaw a meeting of the county executive and players in Darver on Monday evening to reveal the news, which comes as a major shock given Harte and Devlin had been regular attendees at club championship matches over the past month.
Fitzpatrick, secretary Bob Doheny, treasurer Aidan Berrill and Operations Manager Francie McMullen will lead the delegation tasked with finding the next senior boss.
"I got a phone call from Mickey at eight o’clock on Sunday night looking to meet me in Dundalk and I met him and Gavin on Monday morning,” he said.
Read more:
- Mickey Harte to be appointed new Derry manager after stepping down in Louth
- Derry "completely rule out" possibility of Rory Gallagher returning as manager
- The Harte of the matter. Mickey taking big steps with the Wee County
"He told me that they were resigning as manager and selector of the Louth senior football team. They’d been in negotiations with Derry and were offered a three-year term. I was completely taken by surprise but thanked them for the fantastic effort they put in.
“I knew there was no way I was going to change their minds and I’ve built a very good relationship with the two lads over the past three years and I didn’t want to leave on bad terms.
“Mickey told me that they only finalised everything with Derry in the last week and I wish them best of luck going forward. I do believe that we’re in a better position now than when Mickey and Gavin came in, but it is really a shock.”
Harte guided Louth to back-to-back promotions, from Division 4 to 2 of the National Football League, and secured a third place finish in the second tier prior to qualifying for a first Leinster SFC final in 13 years.
He was coaxed to take over from Wayne Kierans in the winter of 2020, just weeks after his long reign in Tyrone had ended, and oversaw a huge upturn in Louth’s fortunes as well as the integration of many younger members into the senior set-up, using almost 70 players across three seasons.
"I called a management meeting in Darver on Monday night and asked Sam Mulroy, the captain, to get the players here as well,” Fitzpatrick added.
"I think we made a bit of history in that we had the first management committee and football team meeting together in the dressing room because, ultimately, it’s a team effort.
“I told everyone the information I had and when you looked at some of the younger lads especially, they were devastated, but I told them that the County Board was 200pc behind them.
“We’ve set-up a selection team to find Mickey Harte’s successor, the same one which got Mickey in, and we’ve already got a few names together, and we will report back to the management committee in the days to come.
“We owe it to the young people in the Louth dressing room, who put in such a fantastic effort, to get the right man in to replace Mickey Harte. Mickey has set a standard and it’s very important that we keep that standard.
“We, as a County Board, would be failing them if we don’t go out there and search all four corners of the country to get the best manager to manage the Louth football team and keep Louth were they should be.
"I am disappointed but it’s football. Mickey would love to win an All-Ireland before he retires and he thinks that Derry is the best chance for him. Even though I’m heartbroken and very disappointed, Louth football is big and strong. We’ve taken a lot of knocks but overcome them and a lot of good things have happened. But I think we can keep the whole legacy going if we get the right person in charge.”
