Donegal hoping McGuinness return will mark the end of a 'toxic' feeling around the county

Up to three months ago, national media headlines and bulletins continually referred to Donegal as a county in crisis.

Croke Park launched a review into the affairs of the county board after it experienced turbulence on a number of fronts.

Senior football manager Paddy Carr stepped aside from his role after just 149 days in charge despite an exhaustive search to replace the previous manager Declan Bonnar.

Before that, academy director Karl Lacey and in the region of 40 coaches stepped away from their underage roles, meaning that around 300 young players didn't initially gather for the start of the season on 1 March.

The general fall-out from the academy being wound down prompted the GAA review at central level and the subsequent review found 14 "high-risk" issues which signalled "a significant weakness in the current control environment, financial management or governance".

Amidst that backdrop, interim senior football manager Aidan O'Rourke took the side for this year’s Ulster championship. They lost to Down at the quarter-final stage but O'Rourke steadied the ship and steered his side to group-stage wins over Clare and Monaghan in the new-look All-Ireland campaign.

He stepped aside after losing to Tyrone in the preliminary quarter-finals and on 4 July the county board selected a five-man committee to find a new manager.

It included Donegal icons Martin McHugh and Anthony Molloy, Anthony Doogan, secretary Declan Martin and chairperson Fergus McGee.

The reappointment of 2012 All-Ireland winning boss Jim McGuinness as their new senior football manager won’t solve all of the county’s problems, but McGee feels it is a massive boost for all concerned in the county and a huge step on the road they want to be on.

"Jim is the most