For the 22nd consecutive year the All-Ireland senior football championship will be claimed by a team managed by one of their own.
John O’Mahony remains the last outside manager to lead another county to Sam Maguire success, when the Mayo native steered Galway to glory in 2001.
Indeed, only once since then has a county managed by an outside boss even contested an All-Ireland SFC final – Derry’s Mickey Moran was at the helm with Mayo in 2006.
Ciarán Meenagh went agonisingly close to altering that particular stat on Sunday, only for the Tyrone man to see his Derry side come up just short against Kerry at Croke Park. Meenagh was the outlier in that respect during the latter stages of the championship – of the eight All-Ireland quarter-finalists, seven had a local manager.
Seán Moran: League’s championship promise may be clouding but it remains bright at the top
Malachy Clerkin: The GAA should make more of St Patrick’s Day - and more of its intercounty stars
Sports Review 2023: Mary Hannigan picks the best quotes from the sporting year
GAA happy that GAAGo has ‘bedded in well’ as 2024 season launches
In a fortnight, either Dessie Farrell or Jack O’Connor will maintain the trend of inside men landing Sam.
Before O’Mahony’s successes with Galway in 2001 and 1998, you must go all the way back to 1982 to find another All-Ireland SFC winning outside boss when Longford’s Eugene McGee landed the big prize with Offaly.
This year’s Tailteann Cup final was contested by two teams managed by local managers as well in Meath’s Colm O’Rourke and Down’s Conor Laverty. Three of the four provincial championships in 2023 were won by sides managed by one of their – Derry again the exception.
And while the stats don’t lie in terms of where the trophies end up, the reality is the traditionally stronger counties have deeper resources in terms of finance, facilities and, crucially, people.
Vinny Corey has done an incredible job with Monaghan this season, but while the Clontibret man was widely seen within the county as a future Farney manager the gig ended up in his hands earlier than many imagined.
Monaghan spent a chunk of the 2022 off-season working through a list of retired Dublin footballers in the hope of attracting one to succeed Seamus McEnaney as their senior football manager.
Monaghan have a proven track record of building successful campaigns under outside managers – Fermanagh man Malachy O’Rourke led the county to Ulster titles in 2013 and 2015, and during his spell in charge they became one of the game’s top teams.
But after failing to net Ger Brennan or Jason Sherlock, Monaghan looked within and eventually Corey was appointed manager.
Roscommon had a decent season under Davy Burke, the Kildare native was disappointed not to take them further in the All-Ireland series but it was still a positive maiden season. The imprint of Donegal’s Mark McHugh, part of Burke’s coaching team, was also noticeable with Roscommon this season.
It makes sense for counties to bring in expertise from elsewhere but it is wrong to assume it is only the developing counties doing so. Because while the top teams have generally maintained a policy of shopping local for a manager, it is not the case when it comes to the backroom teams. It doesn’t matter where the expertise comes from, to be the best you must have the best people involved.
One of the big talking points surrounding Jack O’Connor’s third coming as Kerry manager was his decision to bring Paddy Tally in as a defensive coach. The natives had ants in their pants on that one. A Tyrone boy, coaching the Kerry footballers! And the brand of football they play above there!
At his first press conference, O’Connor was asked to address the matter.
“You know when you are in the game what coaches are good, what coaches are average and I would have admired Paddy for a while,” said O’Connor at the time.
“I think we are very lucky to have him on board because he is just a very intelligent clever, organised guy who will bring something to Kerry that we haven’t got.”
There was pragmatism in O’Connor’s decision to bring in Tally, because Kerry’s defence had been as resolute as a sieve before the Tyrone man’s arrival. Having managed Kildare himself, O’Connor had experienced the role of coaching in another county. His Kerry backroom team includes Tally, former Clare hurler Tony Griffin and Armagh native Jason McGahan and Colin Trainor.
“I don’t mind where a fellah comes from once he’s good enough at his job,” commented O’Connor last summer. “My first stint, I brought in Pat Flanagan who’s from Waterford. I don’t attach any labels to fellas.”
Kildare’s Cian O’Neill, who has been coaching Galway for the last two years, was part of Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s All-Ireland winning Kerry management team.
Ultimately, results determine everything. When Kerry beat Galway in last year’s All-Ireland final, Tally’s impact was hailed from Tralee to Killarney, and O’Connor was lauded for his brave call in bringing him to the Kingdom.
However, while the cross-pollination of intercounty management teams has increased, the top counties continue to appoint from within when it comes to the lead role.
In a fortnight the All-Ireland SFC will be won either a Kerry team managed by a Kerry native or a Dublin outfit managed by a Dubliner.
It’s over two decades now since a county won an All-Ireland with a manager from outside their borders, and after Derry’s defeat on Sunday that won’t be changing in 2023.
