Darren Gleeson’s appointment as Laois senior hurling boss has added to a trend of intercounty managers trading places during the off season.
It has been particularly evident in the small-ball code where three leading managers have essentially moved dressingrooms in advance of the 2025 campaign – Gleeson, Davy Fitzgerald and Micheál Donoghue.
Tipperary native Gleeson, who stepped down as Antrim manager in July after five seasons, was appointed as the new Laois senior boss on Monday night.
Fitzgerald ended his second stint as Waterford manager at the start of July; the following month the Clare native was unveiled as Gleeson’s successor in Antrim.
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Donoghue ended his two-year spell in charge of the Dublin hurlers on August 8th and less than one month later was back at the helm of his native Galway.
A little further down the hurling ladder, Seoirse Bulfin stepped down as Meath manager in March but the highly rated coach has since been snapped up by their neighbours Westmeath for next season.
And while the trading of managerial places has been evident in hurling over recent weeks, it is certainly not the preserve of one code and has naturally occurred in the broader waters of intercounty football too.
One of the standout managerial moves was that of Mickey Harte popping up in Offaly. Harte’s tenure with Derry came to an abrupt end after one tumultuous season with the Oak Leafers but then in August came an unexpected announcement from Offaly.
“I am delighted that Mickey Harte has come on board with Declan [Kelly] as joint manager of the Offaly senior football team,” said Offaly chairman Michael Duignan.
“His genuine interest in Offaly GAA and his wealth of experience is what I feel Offaly football needs right now. On behalf of the Offaly County Board, I want to welcome Mickey to the county and I hope all Offaly GAA Gaels will come out to show their support to Declan, Mickey and the footballers for the coming year.”
It’s fair to say not even Keith Barry could have predicted Harte winding up alongside Kelly as joint manager of the Offaly footballers.
Andy Moran, who managed Leitrim for three years before stepping down in July, was much in demand from several set-ups in recent months but the former Mayo forward has ultimately landed in Monaghan for the season ahead.
Moran will be part of Gabriel Bannigan’s back room team with the Farney County, alongside John Elhone and former Monaghan captain Damien Freeman.
The much-travelled Cian O’Neill has ended his time with the Galway footballers and returned to Kerry to join Jack O’Connor’s set-up. He previously trained the Kingdom during Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s reign.
O’Neill, who also previously managed his native Kildare, was Kerry coach when the Kingdom won the All-Ireland in 2014. He had been a key member of Pádraic Joyce’s Galway set-up for the last three years.
Kerry native Mark Fitzgerald has stepped down after one season in charge of the Clare footballers to link up with the Kingdom’s under-20 footballers under manager Tomás Ó Sé.
Still, it is in the smaller pool of top-flight hurling counties where the managerial merry-go-round is most noticeable because they tend to come face to face with their former teams more often.
Indeed, Gleeson will be meeting his ex-charges Antrim in the newly formatted National Hurling League early next season.
During his time managing the Saffrons, the former Tipperary goalkeeper led the county to two Joe McDonagh Cup triumphs – in 2020 and 2022. They also claimed the Division Two league title in 2020.
In his farewell statement, Gleeson stated: “To the loyal Antrim hurling public, I look forward to meeting you around the playing pitches of Ireland as you continue to support this great county of yours and I continue my hurling journey.”
That journey has taken him closer to home as Laois replace one Tipperary senior hurling manager with another. Willie Maher was at the helm in Laois for the last two years and guided them to the Joe McDonagh Cup final in June where they lost narrowly to Offaly.
On Monday night, the O’Moore County announced: “Laois GAA is pleased to announce that, following this evening’s county committee meeting, Darren Gleeson has been officially ratified as the new senior hurling manager.”
Fitzgerald, meanwhile, will be facing one of his former counties in the 2025 Leinster SHC, as Antrim will meet Wexford during the round-robin stages of the provincial championship. Those fixtures have yet to be finalised but it is believed Antrim-Wexford could meet in the opening round.
Donoghue will also be going up against Dublin in the Leinster Championship next season – though the man who guided the Tribesmen to All-Ireland glory in 2017 has already experienced the challenge of managing against his own county during his two years with the Dubs.
Indeed, Donoghue’s first spell as Galway manager ended following a defeat to Dublin in the 2019 Leinster Championship. He was subsequently appointed manager of the capital’s hurlers for three years in August 2020.
But the Clarinbridge man opted against seeing out that term and has instead returned to the helm out west, replacing Henry Shefflin in the role as Galway manager.
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