Latest news with #GerBrennan
Irish Independent
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Thanks Ger...Louth GAA's loss as the man who delivered Delaney moves on
The Argus It's just over a week since Ger Brennan left and people are still taking about his departure from Louth. The Dubliner who guided Louth to a first Delaney Cup in 68 years, left quietly with no fanfare - a phone call, a short meeting and a statement issued by the County Board announcing Brennan's departure.
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Diarmuid Connolly backs Ger Brennan for Dublin job and urges new boss to cast net wide
DIARMUID CONNOLLY is backing Ger Brennan for the Dublin job. Connolly's St. Vincent's clubmate is the red hot favourite for the gig after stepping down as Advertisement 2 BoyleSports ambassador and Dublin legend Diarmuid Connolly has backed Ger Brennan to be a success as new boss 2 But Connolly insists his former teammate much search far and wide for the best talent Brennan led the Wee County to their first Leinster title in 68 years this summer, and quit the post just three days after Dessie Farrell vacated the Dublin hotseat. Connolly would love to see his old pal get the nod - but insists whoever gets it needs to scour the capital for new talent after their limp He said: 'Gerry's a really good man manager. He's always with a smile on his face. I doubt he'd be overawed by the job at all. 'He's the sort of guy that can walk in anywhere and fill the room. Even talking to guys that are out working with him in UCD and stuff, he's a really good guy to have around. Advertisement read more on gaa 'He's a good motivator too. That Louth team hadn't won in a long few years. He brought them to success. I thought it was a bit leftfield, maybe leaving so early. 'Look, if he's the man for the job, I think everybody should get behind him." Connolly knows Brennan would be a great fit for the hotseat, but admits there are plenty of candidates who might fancy it. The seven-time All-Ireland winner says no matter who gets the nod needs to scour the county for new talent - and insists the Dubs have not gone away. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football He said: 'To be honest, from looking in from the outside, there wasn't any underage managers coming through that you'd say, 'Oh yeah, he's nailed on.' 'So yeah, you'd have to look to Ger Brennan in that sense, because he had success at the level we're talking about. Watch RTE pundits' contrasting reaction to full-time whistle of Tipperary's epic win over Kilkenny 'For me, probably Robbie Brennan would have been front and centre in that conversation. I know Dec Darcy has been put in the loop, Johnny Cooper has been put in the loop. 'Ger looks like, the rumour on the ground is that he has first refusal on the job, but I don't know if that's actually true. I haven't spoke to the man myself, so I don't know whether that's true or not. Advertisement 'It's very easy to jump on the bandwagon and say Dublin are finished - they're on the decline, they're this, that and the other. 'The next manager slash coaching team that come in, will hopefully throw the net far and wide in Dublin GAA circles. 'I know the players that are in that Dublin camp. I know the players that are playing club football in Dublin and there is serious talent there.'
Irish Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Dublin job is Ger Brennan's to turn down, while Gavin Devlin is well placed to land Louth role
It's the season of travelling funfairs and unnaturally pink candy floss – but the GAA's intercounty managerial merry-go-round has also whirled to life earlier than expected. The All-Ireland hurling semi-finals will take centre stage this weekend, but it has been a busy week in football comings and goings. Ger Brennan's Louth departure emerged just three days after Dessie Farrell vacated his managerial position in Dublin . In the space of just over two weeks, six senior intercounty managers have either stepped away from their roles or got shoved out the dressingroom door. They are Tony McEntee (Sligo), Kevin McStay (Mayo), Andy McEntee (Antrim), Davy Burke (Roscommon), Farrell (Dublin) and Brennan ( Louth ). Some of the departures were not unexpected but others have left counties dealing with a far stickier situation than a handful of spun sugar. READ MORE Brennan's surprise decision to call time on his tenure in Louth is the standout exit. For this week at least. Last week it was Mayo's call to plough on without Kevin McStay . It wasn't so much Mayo's decision to move on without McStay, but the lack of compassion in how they relieved him of his responsibilities. The Mayo County Board received plenty of kickback over the tone of their statement and, no doubt, they have been the ones relieved this week to see the managerial spotlight move to Dublin, Louth and elsewhere. Still, it seems lessons were learned from the Mayo-McStay break-up because it has been noticeable that subsequent managerial exits have been accompanied by glowing, almost overtly fawning farewell salutes to departing bosses. Mayo County Board has been criticised for a lack of compassion in the way it parted company with Kevin McStay. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho Roscommon praised Burke for his 'effort, dedication and commitment' while Louth said Brennan would 'always hold a special place in the Louth GAA family, and our doors will forever remain open to him'. There are likely to be more vacancies arising over the coming weeks with, among others, uncertainty over the futures of Pádraic Joyce in Galway and Oisín McConville in Wicklow. [ Malachy Clerkin: Mayo's decision to oust Kevin McStay was fair enough but the way they did it was foul Opens in new window ] Indeed, while Kerry delivered a tour de force at Croke Park on Sunday to silence many of their doubters, it is far from certain that Jack O'Connor will still be at the helm for the start of the 2026 campaign – irrespective of how the next few weeks play out. As for those who recently left managerial positions, Tony McEntee has been one of the names already linked with the vacancy in Mayo while Brennan is the standout frontrunner to succeed Farrell in Dublin. Indeed, some bookmakers have suspended betting on who will be the next Dublin boss. Prior to Brennan's departure from Louth, former Dublin player and coach Declan Darcy was also viewed as a potential successor to Farrell, as was ex-Dubs women's football manager Mick Bohan. But it appears the gig is for Brennan to turn down now. As for the position Brennan left behind, Louth are likely to stay in-house or at the very least, relatively local. Gavin Devlin, who coached the senior team during Mickey Harte's tenure in the county, is working as Louth's director of underage football development and is considered a strong candidate to succeed Brennan. The Wee County could also look to current under-20 manager Fergal Reel who guided Louth to a Leinster title and an All-Ireland final appearance at that grade this year. Either way, the merry-go-round is spinning once again. It'll be going all summer long, and probably beyond.
Irish Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ger Brennan has prospered where others faltered - he's earned shot at Dublin job
We haven't heard from Ger Brennan yet on the exact reasoning behind his decision to quit Louth, so we can only surmise for now. The likelihood is that, at the very least, he was leaning towards leaving before word emerged on Saturday evening that Dessie Farrell was vacating the Dublin job. Indeed, there's every chance that he may have left Louth regardless of Farrell's intentions. But, however it's all come about, now that there is an opening and Brennan is a free agent, drawing a line between the two is irresistible. Brennan, who turned 40 on the day he announced his Louth departure, will almost certainly be approached by the Dublin county board and, given the dearth of other credible candidates, you'd imagine that the job would be his if he wants it. Yet, it's a reflection how he has done in Louth that the role he is leaving is, strictly in footballing terms, arguably more appealing than that to which he is now being strongly linked. Louth have just won the Leinster title and appear to have enough talent emerging from underage teams to kick on from here. Dublin, meanwhile, are being weakened year on year by retirements, a trend that will likely be maintained this coming winter. And, clearly, the emerging talent is not sufficient to sustain them as a serious force at the back end of the Championship for now at least. But then Brennan has proven himself adept at confounding such perceptions. When Mickey Harte jumped ship to Derry two years ago, the room for further improvement in Louth appeared minimal and, indeed, the likelihood seemed that they would drop out of Division Two and lose further ground on Dublin in Leinster, having been beaten by 21 points by them in the 2023 provincial final. Brennan was taking over from a man who had essentially told the players that juice wasn't worth the squeeze, yet he managed to galvanise them and harness the momentum that had been built under Harte to take Louth to a higher plain again. They were competitive against Dublin in last year's Leinster final and reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals for the first time. This year they won the provincial title for the first time since 1957. There was almost an inevitability about their struggles in the All-Ireland series on the back of such a historic breakthrough, and maybe Brennan, after two full-on years, couldn't summon the energy to take one step back in order to take two forward in reinforcing the side so that they could really challenge beyond Leinster. But the prospect of managing his native county would surely reinvigorate him. Often, managerial appointments owe as much to timing as anything else, and Brennan is hot right now. He may not be when it comes around again. So many ex-Dublin footballers have struggled when managing outside the county, effectively blowing their chances of landing the big job. But Brennan has prospered and has now earned his chance.
Irish Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Betting suspended on new Dublin football boss after big gamble
Betting has been suspended on the new Dublin football manager after a flurry of bets for former Louth boss Ger Brennan. Brennan was backed from 6/4 into the 2/5 favourite to replace Dessie Farrell after the Dubliner stepped down as Louth manager on Monday. The St Vincents man led Louth to their first Leinster title in 68 years in April, but he shocked many when announcing his resignation from the Wee County this week. And punters were quick to join the dots, believing that the former centre-back is being lined up to take over the Dubs. Brian O'Keeffe, spokesperson for BoyleSports, said: 'Speculation was rife that Ger Brennan was top of Dublin's wishlist after Dessie Farrell stepped down, and the weight of support in the betting further cemented that. "While he hasn't signed on the dotted line just yet, the stars seem to be aligning for a big Dublin move.' Meanwhile, Louth's Director of Underage Football, Gavin Devlin, is the early frontrunner to replace Brennan as Louth boss. The former senior coach, who had formed a long partnership with Mickey Harte, is an odds-on 4/5 shot to take the managerial role. Louth selector Peter Dooley has also been pitched as a potential successor for Brennan at odds of 5/2, with U20s manager, Fergal Reel (9/2) also in contention, having led that side to a Leinster triumph in April. Next permanent Louth manager 4/5 Gavin Devlin 5/2 Peter Dooley 3/1 Oisín McConville 9/2 Fergal Reel 8/1 Peter Fitzpatrick 8/1 Jason Sherlock 10/1 Shane Lennon 12/1 Mickey Harte 14/1 Karl Lacey
