AFTER BEING APPOINTED as recently as October, Paddy Carr has stepped down as Donegal manager.
It further deepens the crisis engulfing Donegal GAA, after their relegation to Division Two last weekend following defeat to Mayo, with a trip to Roscommon to come this Sunday.
A statement released by the county board from Carr this afternoon stated; “Following a discussion with some senior members of the Donegal football team, I want to announce that I’m stepping away from the position of Donegal team Manager with immediate effect. I want nothing more than the best for Donegal and that will never change.”
Carr took on the role with former Louth manager Aidan O’Rourke, who also has coached in Armagh and Down, and it is not known if he will take over as manager.
CLG Dhún na nGall regret to announce that Paddy Carr is resigning as Donegal manager.https://t.co/KU6gn5nTF3 pic.twitter.com/Yq1lzqm2U4
— CLG Dhún na nGall (@officialdonegal) March 22, 2023
Donegal opened their campaign brightly with an unlikely win over Kerry in Ballybofey, but have been dealt a tough hand since. Already hindered by Michael Murphy’s retirement, they lost his replacement as captain, Patrick McBrearty in the second round defeat to Tyrone in Omagh.
From then on, defeat to Monaghan, a draw with Galway, and further losses to Armagh and Mayo sealed their fate.
It brings to two, the managerial departures during the season, with Ray Dempsey having left Limerick footballers. Such occurrences are extremely rare in Gaelic football.
Carr was seen as the ideal man to oversee the transition of Donegal footballers after the departure of Declan Bonner. Having managed Kilmacud Crokes to the All-Ireland club title in 2009, it was noted that five of the back six defenders were under 21.
However, it hasn’t worked out for Carr, who made a number of appearances for his native county throughout the ‘80s. A wider malaise has engulfed Donegal GAA, with public criticism following Jim McGuinness’ claim that he had ‘the door closed’ to him coming back to work in the backroom team, and the departure of Karl Lacey as the head of Development Squads.
Donegal have a county board meeting scheduled for Thursday night.
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