DARRAGH BURNS WON’T be returning to Shamrock Rovers for the 2025 season, as he is set to join Grimsby Town of League Two instead.
Burns spent last season on loan at Rovers from MK Dons, and Stephen Bradley’s side were hopeful of sealing his return for the upcoming season, which kicks off with a Conference League knockout tie against Molde.
The 42 understands Burns won’t be coming back to Tallaght, and has instead agreed personal terms with Grimsby, who will also pay a transfer fee in the region of £40,000 to MK Dons for Burns’ services.
Grimsby are currently ninth in League Two, five points from the play-off places.
Rovers have also lost Neil Farrugia (Barnsley) and Johnny Kenny (Celtic) from last year’s squad, while Estonian international Markus Poom has also left the club. Defender Sean Hoare, meanwhile, has joined St Patrick’s Athletic.
Rovers have strengthened so far by signing former Bohemians winger Danny Grant, goalkeeper Ed McGinty, former Cork City midfielder Matt Healy, and forward Michael Noonan, who signed terms with Rovers having recently been at Pat’s.
Reporting by David Sneyd
Imagine going from working with Alldrit, Skelton and Antonio to Coombes, Wycherly and Archer. Don’t blame him there
@Eoin H: you just randomly picked 3 players there to suit your argument. You could have said Beirne, Crowley and Ahern – that sounds better . No doubt that LRo have deeper pockets and better chance of winning silverware. IRFU need to think outside box in terms of raising level of all the provinces
@Michael Corkery: Haters gonna hate… French Clubs about to go ‘public sector’ anyway, RoG has maybe 2 seasons before their telling him what he can and cant do with his players.
@Michael Corkery: Interestingly he picked the 3 players feom LaR that might be the worst to work with. Aldritt is a trouble making manbaby, Skelton spends more time on the treatment table than the pitch and Antonio might be gone next year, or he might be back, or he might be gone… oh red card, definitely gone!!
@Michael Corkery: irfu need root and branch clear out in my view.
If they go down a DOR route (effectively promoting Leamy and Prendergast) they really should be seeing if Conor O’Shea would be interested.
@cian nolan: Not sure about Conor O’Shea. What about Declan Kidney as DOR & MP as Head Coach?
@Paul Ennis: The Cork lads wont like Prendie, but not sure about Kidney (class coach tho).
O’Gara was never taking that Munster job. He’s at a club with one of the biggest budgets in world rugby, no way he was going to a club with no money to spend. Easier to get the cheque book out and sign Will Skelton rather than having to coach 36 year old John Ryan or Archer. Munster need to get away from this jobs for the boys culture. Prendergast and Leamy are every bit as responsible for this mess as Rowntree. The defence has been a shambles under Leamy.
@Aidan Farrell: good man Aidan/Ray, mighty at the pointing out the negatives….any fear you’d provide us all with what you think is a practical solution given the financial constraints at Munster right now
@Aidan Farrell: I am not sure the “mess” is as bad as you think. Top of the URC last year and the toughest of starts this year. It sounds like GR had developed a few toxic relationships with a few players but also with the powers that be in Lansdowne Road. Leamy was a good coach for Leinster, but a very inexperienced coach who requires a guiding hand. Prendergast has the Munster attack running better than it has for 15 years. I don’t necessarily think that clearing house will do Munster any service at all. And what is wrong witb having Munster boys in tbe coaching roles?
@anthony davoren: “Munster Rugby in a really good place financially”.. https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-41415190.html
Very interesting read. Puts it all out there about the underlying issues.
It’s a bit of a poison chalice what ever way you look at it.
@brian o’leary: huh it’s an opportunity. If the next coach was coming into a Man City it’s much harder to get 5% more on top of a 85% high performing team. Coming into a team that could and have the capacity to be a Man City but are performing at 50% is easier ? No ?
@Joe Duffy: sorry Joe, the glass is half empty on this one.
@brian o’leary: so with “whatever way you look at it” you meant “looking at the glass half empty”?
@Petter Sellberg: what ever way I look at it , I’m pessimistic about munster getting back to where they were, even heineken cup quarters or semi finals are a stretch. Those expectations make the job a bit of a poison chalice?
@Petter Sellberg: Perception is a mf’r really, people understand information in wildly different ways. It’s both a “poison challis” and an opportunity at the same time, for a coach this is all part of the game so they would probably see it as opportunity, RoG is correct that with his trajectory this would be a step in the wrong direction to secure test level positions. Undoubtedly one of the best coaches in the game, there is no ‘opportunity’ there for him. This year would be great to qualify for Europe and Munster can still have a decent season (looking at the next few fixtures it could be after the holidays lol). Next season? Or after that, who knows. No one.
And there you have it. O’Gara knows Munster inside out. If anyone has a spare tenner, get down to bookies quick and put it on Prendergast!!
@Paul Ennis: I would like to see prendy as head coach but being a limerickman, the powers that be in cork won’t allow that !!!!!
@Lulu: absolute horse manure comment smacking of small mindedness
@Eamon Holly: Nah it’s right on the money.
@Paul Ennis: well Paul you may be right with the bet, but really it sounds like like very good advice and direction. ROG would only say that for the sake of what he personally thinks what’s best for Munster and where can Munster get free advice from a proven world class coach who knows the club personally.
@Thesaltyurchin: so over the last 15 years Munster rugby has moved its primary stadium to limerick, its training base, its academy and plays the odd dead rubber in cork and you think the “powers that be” from cork won’t endorse a limerick born coach? Delusional.
@Cormac O’Hare: They might, but rugby politics is worse than the regular kind! Also they never ‘moved to Limerick’.. its was always Limerick ;)
Why would he leave La Rochelle, what a place to live, this freezing oily rock of bitterness will never see him back.
@Thesaltyurchin: you reallly need to see a head doctor after this comment. Is it really that terrible first you hee? Jesus ….. some put down on your own country. Travel a bit and see if you view the world the same way after. Not perfect here (nowhere is) but as good a place as any I have seen . I’ve lived in Europe, North America and Asia before you ask.
@JJB: Just how I see it JB, was away 20 years, came back 6 years ago… same problems, and zero infrastructure, place in a worse state than before. Bunch of lazy jokers imo. That aside I spent a few summers on the west coast of France, absolutely stunning place. Anywhere you can think of would have trouble competing.
Next Taoiseach ? Has the political acumen for it .
@Joe Duffy: don’t associate yourself with failure?
I’d be inclined to trust that O’Gara is talking straight here rather than being media friendly for old pals, but it doesn’t add up. Not saying Rowntree has zero blame for Munster’s form, but these are the two lads in charge of how players execute defense and attack patterns – and this season they’ve made an artform out of falling off tackles, failing to secure ruck ball, and allowing teams to convert errors into turnover tries. I know both have had success elsewhere – hopefully I’m wrong and the lads just need a kick up the arse (and some of MJ’s magic water from Spacejam for the injury list..).