
Ciarán Meenagh appointed Derry senior manager on permanent basis
As revealed by the Irish Examiner last week, the Tyrone native, who has assisted Down the last couple of seasons, is set to be joined by former Derry defender Chrissy McKaigue for the new season.
Meenagh replaces Paddy Tally who was at the helm for this past year having taken over from fellow Tyrone man Mickey Harte.
In a statement from Derry GAA on Thursday night confirmed: 'Following Thursday night's meeting of Coiste Chontae Dhoire, Derry GAA is pleased to announce the appointment of Ciarán Meenagh as senior football manager.
'Ciarán Meenagh first joined the Derry senior football management team in late 2018 and served for five seasons as a coach and later as manager – a period that included promotion from Division 4 to Division 1 and back-to-back Ulster Senior Football titles.
'He will lead a management team that includes former Derry captain and All Star footballer Chrissy McKaigue.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Shamrock Rovers' Rory Gaffney: We'd back ourselves even without a 10-point lead
After scoring their winning goal away to Galway United back in early April, Shamrock Rovers striker Rory Gaffney said he'd be worried if he was one of the Hoops' competitors. Gaffney reiterated that sentiment on Sunday after his brace of goals delivered a 2-0 victory over Derry City, a result which pushed their lead out to 10 points with 10 games remaining in the season. Their bid for a historic five-in-a-row came a cropper last year after a chronic early summer injury crisis, which saw them fall miles off the pace. A late-season surge wasn't enough to reel in the wire-to-wire league leaders Shelbourne, who clung on to seal their first title in 18 years in dramatic circumstances. Drama may be in shorter supply in the 2025 run-in, however, with Stephen Bradley's side now overwhelming favourites to claim a fifth league title in six years and a 22nd in the club's history. "We spoke in Galway in April and I said I'd be worried if I was the other teams," Gaffney told RTÉ Sport's John Kenny after Sunday's statement win over Derry. "We were ahead of the curve. We're ahead of the curve again. We've 26 games played and we're on 52 points. Two points a game. That normally wins the league. "You don't want to be arrogant or disrespectful to any other team. But we'd back ourselves if everyone was starting on no points with 10 games to go. "So, why wouldn't we back ourselves with 10 games to go and a 10-point head start, plus our goal difference." "You don't want to be arrogant or disrespectful to any other team. But we'd back ourselves if everyone was starting on no points with 10 games to go." In the eyes of many observers, Sunday's 2-0 win over Derry slammed the door shut on the prospect of a close title race, even if Bradley sought to play down the idea. Following a strong burst of form in June, Tiernan Lynch's side had emerged as the likeliest threat to Shamrock Rovers but they've dropped points in the last few rounds and fell 11 points off the pace and behind Bohemians after the defeat on the weekend. Gaffney opened the scoring shortly after half-time, meeting Josh Honohan's cross at the back post. His second was more eye-catching, chasing Dylan Watts' ball down the left wing, cutting inside Alex Bannon and drilling a shot in off the far post. He said: "Wattsy gave me a look to say 'get on your bike'. Made the run down the side, it was a lovely ball. "I like to chop inside. He's (Bannon) a new defender to the league so he mightn't have seen that one before. He might be aware of it next time." Sunday's haul took Gaffney's tally of goals in the league to eight for the season. The 35-year old Tuam-born striker, who won the 2022 PFAI Player of the Year award, missed the vast majority of the 2024 campaign with injury and was forced to sit out the early part of this season. "I just tried to prove my fitness in January," he said. "I had a long year last year. I basically missed all of last season. I didn't want to be driving down the road from Galway, breaking down again and struggling to get to the level I needed to. "The only thoughts I had was trying to be fit and seeing if I could get back to the level that you need to be at to be a professional footballer in this league. "I'm delighted with how I'm feeling. I haven't missed a training session since I signed this season. "I haven't played a whole lot at the start of the season but I'd be doing a whole lot of extra training. "I've played one 90 (minute game) this season. I don't normally go past 60 or 70 minutes. "The last thing you want to do is pick up an unnecessary injury. Look at the bench that we have, the youth and the speed we have to come in, Michael (Noonan) and John (McGovern), I'm only happy to pass the baton onto one of them." In a commanding position in the league, Shamrock Rovers have two more rounds to navigate to the return to the Conference League league phase, which they qualified from so impressively in 2024. This week, they head for Kosovo for the first leg of their tie with Ballkani, with the winners facing the team to progress from the Larne-Santa Clara fixture. "It's a step into the unknown," he said "I don't think anyone has played a team from Kosovo before. I know a couple of their players were playing for Shkupi and Celje, teams we've come up against before. I'm sure they'll be good, they always are. "You don't know what you're going to get so there's always that bit of uncertainty in the first leg. "Over there, the weather is going to be warm. Thankfully, it's a grass pitch, not an astro this time. "We'd back ourselves that if we turn up, we'll give a good account of ourselves and be there or thereabouts. If we bring them back to Tallaght, we'll be a match for anyone."


RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Title race isn't run yet, says Rovers boss Stephen Bradley
Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley insists that the SSE Airtricity Premier Division race is still very much alive, despite his side's ten-point lead at the top of the table. Rovers moved ten points clear of second-placed Bohemians at the top of the table courtesy of a 2-0 win over Derry City, who along with Drogheda, trail the Hoops by 11 points. The Candystripes had the better of the first half but came undone on the turnaround with Rory Gaffney notching a brace. Michael Duffy hit the post in the first half but that was as good as things got for Derry who conceded two minutes after half-time and never looked like getting back into the game after Gaffney scored his second goal on 65 minutes. Speaking to RTÉ Sport afterward Bradley was full of praise for his side. "I thought tonight was a proper game, I thought it felt like a proper game. "We both started okay, but they obviously had the Michael Duffy chance off the post. Second half then I thought we completely dominated the game. "The space was there we just weren't seeing in clearly in the first half, second half we did and we were just completely ruthless." The match had the feel of a major milestone on the way to the title but for Bradley, it was just another three points. The Rovers boss spoke of the importance of building up a big lead at the top of the table as his side turn their focus back to Europe and hopefully securing group stage football again. "No, there's a long way to go," he replied when asked if the win over Derry killed off their opponent's title hopes. "There's a lot of games to go. "We won't start calling [the league title]. What we will do is try to extend the lead and that's why tonight's result is so important. "We're going into Europe and we want to be going deep. We want to play Thursday and Sunday and that gets difficult. "The more you can give yourself a buffer, the better. So tonight was important." Rovers now travel to Kosovo for Thursday's Europa Conference Third qualifying round tie with Ballkani and Bradley is hoping that Aaron McEniff will be with them after he was forced of injured against Derry at half-time. " Aaron just felt the back of his hamstring, so we just need to have a look at that," the Rovers boss said. "He said he thinks he got it in time, there wasn't anything really major, but it just felt tight."


Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rory Gaffney fires a brilliant brace as Shamrock Rovers go 10 points clear
Rory Gaffney fired Shamrock Rovers into a whopping 10-point lead at the top as the Hoops shredded Derry City's fading title aspirations. The 35-year-old striker has made a habit over the years of delivering big moments, and didn't disappoint here with two second-half goals to sink the Candystripes. Rovers were not at their best in the first-half, but Gaffney took control by making it double figures for the season with strikes in the 47th and 65th minutes. And in doing so, the Hoops took a giant step towards reclaiming the title with a show of strength against a visiting side that finished with 10-men after Alex Bannon saw red. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . Rovers couldn't have asked for a better chain of events over the bank holiday weekend, as they prepare for Thursday's European clash away to Ballkani in Kosovo. Shamrock Rovers Rory Gaffney celebrates scoring the second goal of the game with Lee Grace and Roberto Lopes (Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne) Second-placed Bohemians sabotaged their own hopes of forcing a title race by losing at the death to Drogheda United on Friday night. And that teed up this game, with Stephen Bradley and his players knowing full well how significant a win would be against a side that hasn't beaten them now in 10 meetings. 'In the second-half we dominated the game,' said Bradley. 'The spaces were there in the first-half but we just didn't see them clearly, but we did in the second half and we were ruthless. 'Rory deserves incredible credit. Last year he had a torrid time with injuries. Coming to pre-season he said 'let me prove that I'm ready to go again'. 'He came in and trained without getting paid and proved that he was ready to go and when you get Rory like he is now, he's unplayable. 'Derry have three big centre-backs and (Mark) Connolly has been around, but Rory had his way with the three of them and he was different class.' But Bradley refused to accept that Rovers are now home and hosed in the title race with just 10 games to go. 'There's a long way to go and another round of matches. We're not calling that. What we do want to do is extend the lead and that's why tonight is so important,' he said. 'We want to go deep in Europe by playing Thursday-Sunday and that can be difficult, so it was important that we gave ourselves a buffer in the league.' Shamrock Rovers' Dan Cleary and Dipo Akinyemi of Derry City (Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne) The Rovers performance in the second-half was night and day compared to the first, where they allowed Derry the space and time to look the more dangerous side. Michael Duffy had a spark about him in those exchanges and the Derry stalwart had the best chance of the half, cracking the woodwork after 12 minutes. Sadou Diallo spotted Duffy's darting run, clipping a ball over the defence. Duffy took a touch and unleashed on the turn, only to hit the post. Duffy chanced his arm again when he jinked inside Pico Lopes and Dan Cleary before driving a ball towards Ed McGinty's goal, only to see it veer off course. At that stage, Derry had plenty about them going forward and caused problems. Their new full-back Brandon Fleming, snapped up from Hull City, was a handful in particular. The crosses he fizzed into the box from the left were usually on the money, but the big difference was that Derry had no Rory Gaffney-type figure to finish them off. Managers Stephen Bradley and Tiernan Lynch before the game at Tallaght Stadium (Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne) Rovers closed out the half with another effort, but Brian Maher got behind Danny Mandroiu's free-kick on the edge of the box after Connolly fouled Dylan Watts. But the Hoops made their first chance of the second-half count when Gaffney pounced for the opener, tapping home at close range. Josh Honohan crossed from the left before Adam O'Reilly could shut him down. Jamie Stott was covering the back post, but Gaffney outfoxed him. Connor Malley, snapped up on loan from Sligo Rovers, then crashed a long-range drive off the crossbar on his debut before Honohan flashed a shot across goal. He ought to have scored, having done all the hard work, but that manic, six-minute burst of energy sparked Rovers into life. Not only that, they never looked back as Gaffney doubled his tally and finished the Candystripes off in the 65th minute. Watts sent a ball up the right flank from deep and Gaffney raced onto it. Alex Bannon was covering but Gaffney tied him up in knots before rifling left-footed into the corner. And Bannon's night would go from bad to worse with 11 minutes to go when he was sent off on a second-yellow card to compound Derry's miserable night. SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty 7; Cleary 7 (O'Sullivan 86, 5), Lopes 7, Grace 7; Grant 7 (McGovern 74, 6), Watts 7, Healy 7, Honohan 7; McEneff 6 (Malley 45, 6), Mandroiu 7 (McGovern 74, 6); Gaffney 8 (Noonan 69, 6). DERRY CITY: Maher 6; Bannon 5, Connolly 5, Stott 6; O'Reilly 6, Diallo 6 (R Boyce 85, 5), Winchester 6, Duffy 6 (Doherty 85, 5), Fleming 6; L Boyce 6 (Whyte 63, 6), Akinyemi 6 (Mullen 63, 6). Referee: P McLaughlin MOTM: Rory Gaffney (Shamrock Rovers) Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.