A change of Harte: GAA managers who crossed the great divide

There was talk earlier in the week of a possible sell-out at Celtic Park this Sunday. For the game, that is. Up in the stand and terraces.

Although it seems there might be some in Tyrone willing to use the term to describe the man who guided the county to three of their four All-Ireland senior football titles, now that Mickey Harte has hopped the garden wall to manage the noisy neighbours, Derry.

As former Tyrone footballer Owen Mulligan joked on the Smaller Fish GAA podcast last September: “Mickey Harte has every right to go to whoever he wants to manage, but to go to Rangers is crazy!”

Sunday’s Division One league clash will not define the season for either team – nonetheless the image of Harte on the Celtic Park sideline (the Derry one, not the Glasgow one) with the Oak Leaf across his chest facing off against Tyrone is likely to become an iconic one.

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It is certainly not uncommon for managers to move between counties, but few have taken the decision to link up with a traditionally fierce rival.

But while the Derry-Tyrone animosity is real, when folk share a border and live cheek by jowl, the waters can become muddy. Derry’s star midfielder Conor Glass got engaged last week and his now fiancee is a Tyrone woman.

And as Glass elaborated on the BBC’s GAA Social, not only is Niamh O’Donnell from Trillick but her brother, Seánie, is part of the current Tyrone senior team. And her mother Bronagh is Peter Canavan’s sister. For an added dollop of intrigue, Peter’s daughter Claire is going out with Derry forward Shane McGuigan. Peter’s sons, Darragh and Ruairí, are key players for Tyrone. And the Tyrone captain for 2024 is Peter Harte, Mickey’s nephew.

In terms of Gaelic football, Mayo’s John O’Mahony is one of the most successful “outside” managers of all time, and the last non-native to land Sam Maguire with another county – Galway in 2001. Before him, Longford’s Eugene McGee led the way with Offaly in 1982.

Several managers over the years have tried their luck across county borders – Mickey Moran, Kevin McStay, John O’Keeffe, Mickey Ned O’Sullivan, Liam Kearns, Kieran McGeeney, Andy McEntee, Michael Bond, Justin McCarthy, Anthony Daly, the list goes on.

The 2022 championship meetings between Brian Cody’s Kilkenny and Henry Shefflin’s Galway produced the most talked about handshake scandal since Covid health guidelines recommended we all just fist-bump instead.

The difference between that scenario and Harte’s situation is Shefflin has not yet managed his native county.

We look at six intercounty managers who returned to face their home team having previously managed their native county.

Mick O’Dwyer

Micko’s managerial journey took him from Kerry to Kildare, Laois, Wicklow and Clare – so there was no shortage of opportunities to stumble across old friends. However, nothing could compare to 1998 when O’Dwyer led Kildare to an All-Ireland semi-final against a Kerry team managed by Páidí Ó Sé.

Adding to the plot was the inclusion of O’Dwyer’s son, Karl, as a central player for Kildare. Kerry entered the game as reigning All-Ireland champions while Kildare were trying to qualify for a first final appearance since 1935. Kildare made history with a 0-13 to 1-9 victory, with Karl O’Dwyer scoring 0-3.

The Irish Times reported: “Karl O’Dwyer gave a fine display throughout the 70 minutes against his former team-mates.”

And while it might have been a day of mixed emotions for the O’Dwyer family, it was one which ultimately further enhanced Micko’s reputation on the sideline.

John O’Mahony

O’Mahony managed his native Mayo to an All-Ireland under-21 title in 1983 before taking charge of the seniors and guiding them to Connacht triumphs in 1988 and 1989. They also contested the 1989 All-Ireland final but came up short against Cork. O’Mahony eventually moved on to become Leitrim manager and secured a famous Connacht Senior Football Championship (SFC) final victory over Mayo in 1994.

He went even further during his time as Galway boss – twice delivering Sam Maguire to Mayo’s fiercest local rivals – with All-Ireland victories in 1998 and 2001. O’Mahony returned for a second spin as Mayo manager between 2007-2010, but they never got within touching distance of Sam. He remains the last outside manager to win an All-Ireland SFC.

Tommy Carr

Several former Dublin footballers have progressed up the managerial ladder by managing against their native county – including Jack Sheedy (Longford), Paul Bealin (Wexford and Westmeath) and as recently as two weeks ago, Paddy Christie (Longford). However, it is rare for a former Dublin football boss to wash up elsewhere. Tommy Carr took the road less travelled.

A year after a messy separation in the capital, Carr was appointed Roscommon manager in September 2002. One of his first league games the following spring was a three-point defeat against his former charges. And fate would determine his last championship game as Roscommon manager would be a 1-14 to 0-13 All-Ireland qualifier loss to Dublin in 2004.

Malachy O’Rourke

O’Rourke’s greatest managerial achievement arrived two weeks ago when he guided Glen to All-Ireland club glory. However, one wonders if even that would have trumped landing a maiden Ulster title with his native Fermanagh in 2008? He managed the Ernesiders to a first Ulster final in more than 20 years that summer and came within minutes of winning the Anglo Celt trophy, ultimately losing to Armagh after a replay.

O’Rourke became Monaghan manager in 2013, and they beat Fermanagh in the 2015 and 2017 Ulster SFC. However, the 2018 meeting between the sides turned out differently. The bookies had Monaghan as 1-8 favourites, but Fermanagh pulled off a shock one-point victory. O’Rourke had overseen an ambush on Monaghan in 2008, but when it happened again 10 years later, he was on the receiving end.

But while he might not have got Fermanagh over the provincial line, O’Rourke did end Monaghan’s long search for Ulster glory – managing the county to two Anglo Celt triumphs.

Davy Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald, having previously managed Waterford, took charge of his native Clare in 2012. They won the 2013 All-Ireland SHC and added a National League crown in 2016. He stepped down in September 2016 and managed Wexford the following season. He played Clare while managing Waterford, but his first experience facing players he coached to Liam MacCarthy glory was a league match at Wexford Park in February 2018, which the home side won.

“I found it hard,” said Fitzgerald afterwards. “I am a Clare man and all I ever wanted to do was play for Clare and manage Clare. It’s difficult but I think the lads knew that.”

There have been several more meetings over the years, but emotions have tended to be running higher since Brian Lohan took charge of the Banner. The relationship between the former team-mates is frosty and there has also been tension between Fitzgerald and members of the Clare back room team.

Following last year’s championship victory for Clare over Waterford, Déise manager Fitzgerald remarked: “You see one of the clowns there from Clare looking at me, laughing, and having a great time. That has no place, I hate that bulls**t.” Stay tuned for more in 2024.

Eamonn Cregan

Surely this was the most traumatic of all the managerial cross-border moves. Cregan, Limerick to his core, had an unremarkable first stint as manager of his native county in the late-1980s. He was subsequently appointed Offaly manager in 1992 and in a wicked twist of fate they met Limerick in the 1994 All-Ireland final.

Limerick had last won the Liam MacCarthy in 1973, with Cregan playing on that team. Offaly ran out 3-16 to 2-13 winners in 1994. Speaking to The Irish Times in 2018, Cregan talked about the mixed emotions of that occasion: “It was difficult and to an extent, still is.”

He returned for a second spell as Limerick manager between 1998-2002, but they never threatened to land Liam MacCarthy.

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