*Work is ongoing to appoint Mark Fitzgerald’s successor as Clare senior football manager.
CLARE is one of four counties without a senior inter-county football manager for 2025 with interest in the vacancy growing.
Mark Fitzgerald’s decision to step away after one year in the role came as a big surprise to members of the panel. Seanie Buckley had exited as coach shortly after Clare’s elimination from the All-Ireland series with James Costello also bowing out after joining Jack O’Connor’s Kerry management for next year.
Fitzgerald later opted to get involved with Kerry’s U20s rather than a second year in charge of the Clare senior footballers. The Tralee man had been at a number of club games in Clare which had heightened expectation that he would remain.
Clare GAA have yet to announce publicly what process is in place to appoint Fitzgerald’s successor and whether a committee has been appointed to try fill the vacancy.
The Clare Echo understands that officials within the County Executive at an officers meeting on Tuesday asked if a committee was in place and who it consisted of. They were informed that work was ongoing to appoint a successor with strong interest both inside and outside of the county for the role with no names given on those in the running for the job or the persons that will be deciding the next manager.
Former Clare manager, Colm Collins has ruled out a return as county manager. Two-time Clare SFC winning Éire Óg manager, Paul Madden has also said he will not be allowing his name to be considered for the role at this present time. David O’Brien who was part of Collins’ management along with guiding St Joseph’s Miltown to win the 2019 Clare SFC and Clare’s All-Ireland intermediate ladies football success of 2009 has also confirmed he will not be in the mix for the job.
Michael Neylon even though he was ratified to continue as Clare U20 manager days after Fitzgerald’s resignation is among the preferred candidates of senior officials on the County Executive.
At the September meeting of the County Board, the Miltown Malbay man was appointed for a fifth year in charge of the Clare U20 footballers. He previously served as a selector for the Clare seniors during Mick O’Dwyer’s sole season in charge (2013) and remained in the role when Colm Collins took charge and stayed there in 2014 and 2015.
Neylon has guided St Joseph’s Miltown to win the Clare SFC in 2015 and 2018. Tralee native, Jerome Stack who managed St Brigid’s to reach the All-Ireland club final earlier this year is linked to be part of his potential ticket. He also led Feale Rangers to win the Kerry SFC in 2007 and oversaw Dromcollogher-Broadford winning a Limerick SFC, he has coached both Limerick and Laois at senior inter-county level.
Two-time All-Ireland winner, Declan O’Keeffe has told The Clare Echo he would be interested in the position and that he is awaiting details on the process to be followed by Clare GAA in appointing a new manager before finalising a potential ticket.
O’Keeffe spent four years as part of the Clare management under Colm Collins working as a goalkeeper coach and selector. The two-time All Star has also been involved with Roscommon at senior level. Since 2019, he has been involved with St Breckan’s, acting as manager for the past two seasons which saw them reach the Clare SFC final where they lost out to Collins’ Cratloe and their 2024 run ended at the hands of Ennistymon at the quarter-final stage.
Outgoing selector Declan Downes is another name in the mix for the manager’s role. The Kilmihil man for the past nine seasons has been involved with the Clare senior footballers, he was a selector for eight of those under Colm Collins and provided the continuity when Mark Fitzgerald took over the reins.
Declan’s late father Tom was the first secretary of the Clare County Board and held the role of liaison officer for several years including when Clare were crowned Munster SFC champions in 1992. Having served his apprenticeship as a selector for almost a decade, a step-up to manager is now a possibility for Downes.
Interest has also been expressed from candidates outside of the county, The Clare Echo understands.
Westmeath, Derry and New York have yet to appoint their managers for 2025 while Galway are on the hunt for a new coach following Cian O’Neill’s return to Kerry.
