THEY ANTICIPATED A reaction to appointing a new manager in the middle of championship, but not a fuss to this extent.
Maybe a quiet response among the supporters in the Melvin Gaels club. Perhaps an interview or two within the local media circuit. But not much more. Restoring some calm ahead of a crunch game in the Leitrim intermediate football championship this Sunday would surely be the focus for everyone.
But for their new manager Nicola Brennan, the last 24 hours have been a flurry of phone calls, messages and interviews. Everyone wants to mark the moment, and offer their congratulations. She’s grateful for the support, but it’s the sheer scale of the attention that has come as a shock.
“I’m a bit overwhelmed,” she says on her appointment as Mick Calvey’s successor. “I don’t think any of us thought it would be as much of a fuss, but they’re willing to trust me and that’s the bottom line. So, I’m delighted with the positivity all around the place.
“Initially, I was a bit stunned. It’s not that I wouldn’t be expecting anyone to ask me, but I hadn’t really put myself out there as a manager. Once I really thought about it and considered moving with it, I was over the moon.”
Brennan, a former footballer for Sligo, was recommended to fill the vacancy by Melvin Gaels man Liam Gilmartin. The pair have worked together as joint-managers with the ATU Sligo women’s team.
Brennan wasn’t familiar with the Melvin Gaels style of football when she was approached, but quickly studied some of their match footage before her first official meeting with the team on Saturday. Stepping into the room, she could sense the relief among the players after a period of disruption at the worst possible time in their season.
“They kept the sessions going, kept trying to pull a bit of normality into the group. They were just delighted to see that someone was interested in coming in and finishing out the campaign. They’ve put so much work into the year.
“They’ve been brilliant for the week. I just hope that we can put everything right now going forward.”
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This is Brennan’s first time taking charge of an adult men’s team, but she has been involved in coaching for many years. She started with teams in her local club Tourlestrane — who she continues to play for — before eventually joining the Sligo LGFA system where she furthered her experience as a development officer.
Her father Anthony is a well-known manager who has mentored teams around Sligo, Longford and Roscommon. Brennan was always with him as he patrolled the sidelines, and inherited the bug.
“Following him around like a bad smell into dressing rooms,” she continues. “It was always a given that this was just a natural transition at some stage.”
Balancing her playing commitments with Tourlestrane was something Brennan needed to consider before agreeing to take the reins at Melvin Gaels. Fortunately, her own manager has offered their complete support, while the timing of matches will also align in her favour.
There will be challenges for Brennan on both sides of the Sligo and Leitrim border, but she’s prepared for what lies ahead.
“I’ll definitely make it work,” she adds.
“The ladies’ games in Sligo are at 10.30 in the morning. The lads will be in the afternoon. It’ll be [a case of] into the dressing room straight away and go. I wouldn’t insult the lads by giving them a half-effort. I also have a huge commitment to my own club. I’m not intending to let that slide either.”
It’s unusual to see women become managers of men’s teams, but Brennan’s situation is not unique. Kilkenny camogie legend Ann Downey took over the St Patrick’s Ballyragget intermediate hurlers in 2020, while in Cork, Karyn Graham is the current manager of the senior footballers in Clyda Rovers.
Brennan also draws inspiration from Mayo’s four-time All-Ireland winner Cora Staunton, who took up a coaching role with Ballina Stephenites in 2024.
The needle is moving. More appointments will hopefully follow. But while it’s important to recognise these developments, Brennan would love to see a more muted reaction in the future.
“As much as it’s daunting, I hope that we just get more accustomed to this, and just move on. I can tell you from experience that a men’s dressing room is no different to a women’s dressing room.
“We play the exact same sport. The exact same rules. There’s no difference between the two codes now. It doesn’t make a blind bit of difference who’s in charge of who. It’s about the individual.”
With all the fuss and the interviews now out of the way, Brennan’s full attention is geared towards Sunday, and the Round 4 fixture for Melvin Gaels against Aughavas. Victory will assure them of a place in the semi-finals while the quarter-finals await in the event of a defeat.
There was a distinct energy in the room when she met the team on Saturday which left her itching to get the team out on the field. But tonight will be her first training session instead, and the start of another chapter in her coaching journey.
“If I could have done a training session with them on Saturday, I would. I’m mad excited to get going. All of these chats and interviews, and even the sit-down talk with them, that’s not my forte. I thrive out on the pitch when the adrenaline is going.
“I can’t wait to get into the footballing aspect with them. Get the focus in on what’s important, which is their game on Sunday.”
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'There's no difference between the codes now': The Sligo woman taking over a men's club team
THEY ANTICIPATED A reaction to appointing a new manager in the middle of championship, but not a fuss to this extent.
Maybe a quiet response among the supporters in the Melvin Gaels club. Perhaps an interview or two within the local media circuit. But not much more. Restoring some calm ahead of a crunch game in the Leitrim intermediate football championship this Sunday would surely be the focus for everyone.
But for their new manager Nicola Brennan, the last 24 hours have been a flurry of phone calls, messages and interviews. Everyone wants to mark the moment, and offer their congratulations. She’s grateful for the support, but it’s the sheer scale of the attention that has come as a shock.
“I’m a bit overwhelmed,” she says on her appointment as Mick Calvey’s successor. “I don’t think any of us thought it would be as much of a fuss, but they’re willing to trust me and that’s the bottom line. So, I’m delighted with the positivity all around the place.
“Initially, I was a bit stunned. It’s not that I wouldn’t be expecting anyone to ask me, but I hadn’t really put myself out there as a manager. Once I really thought about it and considered moving with it, I was over the moon.”
Brennan, a former footballer for Sligo, was recommended to fill the vacancy by Melvin Gaels man Liam Gilmartin. The pair have worked together as joint-managers with the ATU Sligo women’s team.
Brennan wasn’t familiar with the Melvin Gaels style of football when she was approached, but quickly studied some of their match footage before her first official meeting with the team on Saturday. Stepping into the room, she could sense the relief among the players after a period of disruption at the worst possible time in their season.
“They kept the sessions going, kept trying to pull a bit of normality into the group. They were just delighted to see that someone was interested in coming in and finishing out the campaign. They’ve put so much work into the year.
“They’ve been brilliant for the week. I just hope that we can put everything right now going forward.”
This is Brennan’s first time taking charge of an adult men’s team, but she has been involved in coaching for many years. She started with teams in her local club Tourlestrane — who she continues to play for — before eventually joining the Sligo LGFA system where she furthered her experience as a development officer.
Her father Anthony is a well-known manager who has mentored teams around Sligo, Longford and Roscommon. Brennan was always with him as he patrolled the sidelines, and inherited the bug.
“Following him around like a bad smell into dressing rooms,” she continues. “It was always a given that this was just a natural transition at some stage.”
Balancing her playing commitments with Tourlestrane was something Brennan needed to consider before agreeing to take the reins at Melvin Gaels. Fortunately, her own manager has offered their complete support, while the timing of matches will also align in her favour.
There will be challenges for Brennan on both sides of the Sligo and Leitrim border, but she’s prepared for what lies ahead.
“I’ll definitely make it work,” she adds.
“The ladies’ games in Sligo are at 10.30 in the morning. The lads will be in the afternoon. It’ll be [a case of] into the dressing room straight away and go. I wouldn’t insult the lads by giving them a half-effort. I also have a huge commitment to my own club. I’m not intending to let that slide either.”
It’s unusual to see women become managers of men’s teams, but Brennan’s situation is not unique. Kilkenny camogie legend Ann Downey took over the St Patrick’s Ballyragget intermediate hurlers in 2020, while in Cork, Karyn Graham is the current manager of the senior footballers in Clyda Rovers.
Brennan also draws inspiration from Mayo’s four-time All-Ireland winner Cora Staunton, who took up a coaching role with Ballina Stephenites in 2024.
The needle is moving. More appointments will hopefully follow. But while it’s important to recognise these developments, Brennan would love to see a more muted reaction in the future.
“As much as it’s daunting, I hope that we just get more accustomed to this, and just move on. I can tell you from experience that a men’s dressing room is no different to a women’s dressing room.
“We play the exact same sport. The exact same rules. There’s no difference between the two codes now. It doesn’t make a blind bit of difference who’s in charge of who. It’s about the individual.”
With all the fuss and the interviews now out of the way, Brennan’s full attention is geared towards Sunday, and the Round 4 fixture for Melvin Gaels against Aughavas. Victory will assure them of a place in the semi-finals while the quarter-finals await in the event of a defeat.
There was a distinct energy in the room when she met the team on Saturday which left her itching to get the team out on the field. But tonight will be her first training session instead, and the start of another chapter in her coaching journey.
“If I could have done a training session with them on Saturday, I would. I’m mad excited to get going. All of these chats and interviews, and even the sit-down talk with them, that’s not my forte. I thrive out on the pitch when the adrenaline is going.
“I can’t wait to get into the footballing aspect with them. Get the focus in on what’s important, which is their game on Sunday.”
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at the wheel Gaelic Football Leitrim GAA Melvin Gaels GAA Nicola Brennan Sligo LGFA Tourlestrane LGFA