Davy Burke has been confirmed as Roscommon’s new senior football manager.
Burke, who managed his native Kildare to an All-Ireland under-20 title in 2018, has been handed a three-year term and will be joined in his backroom team by 2012 All-Ireland winning Donegal footballer Mark McHugh.
Roscommon are the last county to fill the position of senior football manager, with the appointment coming 137 days after they lost to Clare in an All-Ireland qualifier at Croke Park.
However, Burke’s reputation has been growing since he guided Kildare to that under-20 success. He subsequently had a progressive spell as Wicklow manager while in 2019 he guided Sarsfields to a Kildare senior title. He was in the running for the Kildare senior job in 2021 but lost out to Glenn Ryan and his star-studded management team.
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But Burke, who is currently managing the Maynooth Sigerson Cup side, has let it be known he was interested in returning to the intercounty fold and has now got his chance with Roscommon.
“Roscommon GAA are absolutely delighted with the appointment. Davy Burke is a young enthusiastic manager who has gained much experience in his managerial career through club, college and county,” said Roscommon chairman Brian Carroll.
Burke’s appointment at Wednesday night’s specially convened meeting brings an end to the exhaustive process to find a replacement for Anthony Cunningham.
Brendan Hackett and Pat Flanagan were also in the running for the position, but Roscommon officials have instead opted for Burke to lead them forward for the next three seasons.
Roscommon will compete in Division One of the National League next year, where the challenge will be to try discard their label as the competition’s yo-yo team, forever seemingly trying to avoid relegation from Division One or battling for promotion from Division Two.
They will have Kerry, Mayo, Tyrone, Armagh, Donegal, Galway and Monaghan with them for company in Division One next year, so retaining their top-flight status will be difficult.
The draw for the 2023 Connacht Senior Football Championship has not exactly been too kind to them either, as their side of the pot is stacked. Roscommon will face Mayo, now managed by their former boss Kevin McStay, in a Connacht quarter-final and the prize for the victor will be a provincial semi-final against Galway.
Burke will be hoping to build on the encouraging underage success of recent years. The county’s under-20 side claimed the Connacht title in 2021 and the minors won the provincial championship at that grade in 2020.
