Rory Gallagher (Gaelic footballer)

Rory Gallagher
Personal information
Irish nameRuaidhrí Ó Gallchobhair
SportGaelic football
PositionFull Forward
Born22 August 1978
Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
OccupationRetail manager
Club(s)
YearsClub
Erne Gaels
St Brigid's
Crosserlough
St Gall's
Club titles
Fermanagh titles2 (1 Dublin, 1 Antrim)
Ulster titles2 (1 Dublin, 1 Antrim)
All-Ireland Titles1 (St Gall's)
Inter-county(ies)
YearsCounty
1998-2005
2007		Fermanagh
Cavan
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles0
All-Irelands0
NFL0
All Stars0

Rory Gallagher (born 22 August 1978) is the current manager of Donegal and former footballer who has lined out for the Fermanagh and Cavan inter-county teams, as well as several club teams, including his home club Erne Gaels,[1] as well as Dublin side Saint Brigids and Antrim's St Gall's. He was a selector for Donegal during their 2012 Championship success, acting as number two to Jim McGuinness. He was joint manager of CLG Chill Chartha with John McNulty in 2014.

Playing career

He broke his leg in October 1993.[1]

Club

Gallagher won the Antrim Senior Football Championship and the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship with St Gall's in 2009 and added the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship in 2010. He won the Dublin Senior Football Championship and the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship with Saint Brigids in 2003.

Inter-county

Gallagher has played for Fermanagh and for Cavan.[2]

In 2002, Gallagher scored 3-09 in an Ulster Championship game against Monaghan. He was top scorer in the Ulster Senior Football Championship for three consecutive years, in 2000 (1-19), 2001 (0-16) and 2002 (4-12). After soaring to such heights he quit Fermanagh in 2002.[3]

He briefly returned to Fermanagh in 2010.[2][4] Then he left such was his disgust when John O'Neill was appointed county manager.[5]

In 2011, he joined the Donegal senior football team as a selector.[2] As soon as he joined he knew all the players' names. Jim McGuinness had originally recruited Peter McGinley but he had work commitments and spoke of Gallagher as an impressive coach. In October 2014, Gallagher was announced as the new manager of Donegal succeeding McGuinness.[6] Martin McHugh also thinks highly of him. McGuinness decided to call upon Gallagher.[7] Since his arrival McGuinness's team have twice won Ulster and in 2012 they got their hands on Sam the man himself. The people of Donegal now look upon Gallagher with awe and reverence and as a kind of demi-god to Jim's Messiah.[8] Gallagher lives in Killybegs where he is the manager of the local SuperValu.[2]

He resigned as a selector in 2013.[9] He was then linked with the vacant Fermanagh and Antrim jobs but settled instead for Donegal Under-21s assistant manager under Maxi Curran.[10][11] After his departure from the Donegal senior team, fellow McGuinness underling Curran, who also sacrificed himself, said: "I think that Rory made an enormous contribution to Donegal's success as a tactician, coach, motivator and diplomat. He did not spare himself in bringing Donegal right up to the top [...] I cannot speak highly enough of him and I consider it an honour and a privilege to have worked alongside him. He will undoubtedly be a massive asset to any club or county side fortunate enough to engage his services."[12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Gallagher Rory". Hoganstand.com. 12 April 1996. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Rory Gallagher becomes Donegal selector". BBC Sport (BBC). 5 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  3. ↑ "Corrigan on life after Rory". BBC Sport (BBC). 15 April 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2003.
  4. ↑ "Gallaghers make Fermanagh return". BBC Sport (BBC). 23 December 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  5. ↑ "Gallagher silence says it all for Fermanagh". Evening Herald (Independent News & Media). 21 September 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012. Question: "Had you already decided to pack it in with Fermanagh when Jim got in touch with you?" Rory Gallagher: "Once they gave John O'Neill the management job, that finished me with Fermanagh. There is no doubt about that." Question: "You obviously don't rate him very highly?" Rory Gallagher: "No."
  6. ↑ Shannon, Kieran (25 June 2011). "A taste for success". Irish Examiner (Thomas Crosbie Holdings). Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  7. ↑ "Gallagher answering McGuinness' call". The Irish Times (Irish Times Trust). 18 September 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012. Now, they talk on the phone at least an hour a day and spent countless hours on that same field, coaching and exhorting the players into becoming genuine All-Ireland contenders and devising a style of play that has become nationally known as “the system”.
  8. ↑ "Donegal can handle the hype, claims county selector Rory Gallagher". RTÉ Sport (RTÉ). 19 September 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Backroom trio quit Donegal management teamr". RTÉ Sport (RTÉ). 17 September 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  10. ↑ Bogue, Declan (18 September 2013). "Gallagher tipped for Fermanagh after Donegal exit". The Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  11. ↑ Keane, David (23 October 2013). "Curran & Gallagher Reunited for Donegal U21s". LiveGaelic.com. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  12. ↑ Campbell, John (26 September 2013). "Curran remains committed to Donegal cause". The Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 26 September 2013.

External links