RORY GALLAGHER has been given a new four-year term as Donegal senior football team manager.
Donegal clubs have voted unanimously to give their backing to Gallagher for a new three-year term that has the added clause of a review for a possible fourth year that would take the Fermanagh native until the end of the 2020 campaign.
Gallagher has just completed the second year of what had been a four-year tenure; an initial three years with the option of a fourth.
However, at a recent review meeting with County Board officials, Gallagher outlined that the job was now a long-term one, given that his squad is very much in transition.
Rory Gallagher has been appointed for 3 more years with a review for a 4th from today.
— Official Donegal GAA (@officialdonegal) September 19, 2016
Colm McFadden and Eamon McGee have recently confirmed their inter-county retirements and Paul Durcan moved on last winter and others are expected to do so in the coming weeks.
With that in mind, Gallagher sought an extension to his tenure and clubs voted in his favour tonight at a specially-convened meeting of the Donegal county committee in Ballybofey.
Donegal captain Michael Murphy and Ryan McHugh had both publicly endorsed Gallagher in recent weeks, after it became apparent that their manager wanted to be given a long-term vote of confidence.
“It would be very right for him to drive that on over two, three, four years. As players we would be keen for that to happen,” Murphy said in an interview with the Irish Independent, while McHugh told Donegal Sport Hub: “It’s one of the most important things in Donegal that we hold onto Rory Gallagher.”
Gallagher was first appointed as the Donegal manager in October 2014, following the departure of Jim McGuinness.
Gallagher had been assistant manager to McGuinness for the first three years of his term as the manager before they parted ways in 2013.
In Gallagher’s first two years as manager, Donegal have contested Ulster finals, but lost to Monaghan in 2015 before they were beaten by Tyrone this year.
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