Shelbourne manager Damien Duff is favorite to be named Soccer Writers’ Personality of the Year at the writers’ annual awards banquet in Dublin on Friday. Duff has done a brilliant job with Shels, his first senior managerial role. The 45-year-old was appointed manager at Tolka Park just over three years ago. He took the Reds to the FAI Cup final in 2022 where they lost to Derry City. Last season Shels finished 4th in the League and this season thanks to an away win over Derry City at the Brandywell in the final series of games, Shels won the League title for the first time since 2006.
Duff said that the League win surpasses anything he has achieved in soccer better than winning 100 Irish caps or two Premier League titles with Chelsea. Stephen Kenny, who won the award three times with Dundalk, is also on the short list after ending the season with an impressive nine-game winning run as manager of St Patrick’s Atheltic. And no doubt there will be votes also for Drogheda United manager Kevin Doherty, who kept the County Louth club in the Premier Division and also led them to victory over Derry City in the FAI Cup final. Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley, winner for the last three years, is also on shortlist as are players Dylan Watts from Rovers and Shelbourne’s Paddy Barrett.
The awards are one of the oldest in Irish sport and the winner can be a player, manager or administrator. The inaugural winner was Omagh-born Dan McCaffrey, who scored 22 goals for Drumcondra in the 1960-61 season. Dan was presented with his award at a function in the Maples Hotel, Glasnevin, in May 1961. The venue for this year’s banquet is the Clontarf Castle Hotel.
AVIVA MIGHT GET
MORE ’28 GAMES
FAI chief executive David Courell has revealed that the Euro 2028 games originally slated for Casement Park in Belfast could still be held in Ireland, but only at Aviva Stadium. The UK and Ireland are set to host the next edition of the tournament, with 10 venues originally chosen from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. However, Casement Park was stripped of games due to funding delays, leading to doubts the stadium would be completed in time. There were hopes its games could be played in Croke Park or Pairc Uí Chaoimh in Cork in lieu of the island of Ireland having fewer matches. Courell has said that UEFA has opted to maintain the nine original venues, meaning only the Aviva could host any extra games.
As it stands for Euro 2028 the Aviva Stadium is set to host four group games and two knockout games, including a quarter-final. And with two “back-door” slots available for countries who do not qualify through the normal route, there is now an increased likelihood that the Republic can qualify.
CODY STEPS DOWN
Former Kilkenny manager Brian Cody has stepped down as manager of his native club James Stephens with another former Kilkenny star Eoin Larkin replacing him. The 11-time All-Ireland winning manager didn’t take much of a break after stepping down as Kilkenny manager in July of 2022 and threw himself straight in with his local club the ‘Village’ over the following months. Cody was a selector under Séamus Dwyer for the latter stages of the 2022 campaign and they qualified for the Kilkenny semi-final in 2023. But this year The Village had a very poor season and they lost their record of being the only senior club never to relegated from the top tier and will play in the Intermediate grade next year. The club is full of big names and Larkin will have another former All-Ireland winner Jackie Tyrrell as a coach/selector.
In Laois Tommy Fitzgerald is to take over as the county’s new senior hurling manager. Last week the recently appointed Darren Gleeson was forced to step away as he undergoes cancer treatment. Laois moved quickly to fill the position, with Fitzgerald’s appointment. Fitzgerald managed his own club Portlaoise to Premier Intermediate success in 2023 and was also involved as coach with Galway club St Thomas' in their All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling title glory last January.
Meanwhile in Offaly former Tipperary star Seamus Callanan has the Offaly hurling back room team as forwards coach. Callanan will join his former Tipp colleague Brendan Maher in the Offaly backroom team. Maher and his brother Martin are already part of manager Johnny Kelly’s backroom team.
JACKIES NEED
NEW MANAGER
Mick Bohan has stepped down as Dublin Ladies football manager after eight years in charge. Last year he led the Dubs to a sixth All-Ireland title after getting the better of Kerry, five of those victories coming with him in charge. During his second term as manager of the “Jackies” Mick led Dublin to four-in-a-row from 2017 to 2020 along with two league titles and six Leinster championships. Bohan was part of the 2002 senior management team that won Dublin’s first provincial crown and was manager when Dublin qualified for the 2003 All Ireland final against Mayo, another first for the county.
LARNE TAP ROONEY
Irish League champions Larne lost their manager Tiernan Lynch to Derry City a few weeks back. And now Larne have surprised a few people by opting for Nathan Rooney as their new manager. Rooney’s last job was with FCB Magpies from Gibraltar. Jim Magilton, Gareth McAuley and Ruaidhri Higgins had been linked with the position but Larne have gone for Rooney as their man to bring continued success to the club. The 35-year-old Blackburn-born coach has also coached at Fleetwood Town, Crawley Town and Carlisle United. As it happens, Rooney was manager of the Magpies when they knocked Derry City out of the UEFA Conference League earlier this year.
KIELY LURES BACK
DOWLING AS GOALIE
Limerick hurling manager John Kiely has persuaded Shane Dowling to come out of inter-county retirement as he looks to replace injured goalkeeper Nickie Quaid. The 2014 All-Star and 2018 All-Ireland winning forward stepped away in 2020 due to a serious knee injury, but has been playing in goal for his club Na Piarsaigh for the past two seasons. The 31 year-old scored 21-292 in just 59 league and championship games for his county to surpass the record previously held by Gary Kirby. Next year he will compete with Patrickswell’s Jason Gillane and Conor Hanley Clarke of Kilmallock for the No.1 jersey.
MAYO PLAYERS
TAKE BREAK
Mayo’s 2025 prospects have been dealt a blow with confirmation that forward Cillian O'Connor and defender Padraig O’Hara are both taking a break. The 32-year-old Ballintubber forward has struggled with Achilles and hamstring injuries in recent years, and was used as an impact sub last year. The two-time All-Star is the highest scoring player in championship history, having surpassed Kerry’s Colm Cooper in 2019, while he also holds the record for the most scores in a single championship game after scoring 4-9 against Tipperary in the 2020 All-Ireland semi-final. O’Hara, a latecomer to the intercounty scene, started only two games for Mayo this year and is remembered for his tussle with Kerry’s David Clifford in the 2022 National League final.
