Locked and loaded: Football management teams for 2024

DIVISION 1

Derry

Manager: Mickey Harte

Year: One

Notes: One of the most eye-catching appointments in years, Harte took a call from Derry and headed to his former bitter rivals having previously committed to Louth for the 2024 season.

A three-year term provides a good time-span to try and help the Oakleaf County claim their second – and Harte's fourth – All-Ireland title and, as usual, the highly-regarded Gavin Devlin will be in tow.

HARTE TRANSPLANT NOT FIRST GAA MOVE TO RAISE EYEBROWS

Matthew Godfrey is their new lead athletic development coach with Peter Hughes away to work with New Zealand Rugby. Enda Muldoon remains from the last management team while Oakleaf great Paul McFlynn has been added, as has Murtagh O’Brien who had previously worked with underage teams in the county.

For Derry, after a tumultuous 2023 that saw Rory Gallagher step aside following serious allegations regarding his private life and interim boss Ciaran Meenagh opt not to go for the job permanently having come so close to the All-Ireland final last year, they will be just glad to have moved onto a new chapter. One thing is for sure, they’ve appointed a winner.

Dublin

Manager: Dessie Farrell

Year: Five

Notes: There was a lot of speculation about Dessie Farrell’s future after the 2022 All-Ireland semi-final loss to Kerry, but he ended up agreeing a two-year extension and rewarded that faith with the Sam Maguire last season.

Farrell’s potential tenure was extended even further in the aftermath of that win as in October, Dublin County Board chairman Mick Seavers confirmed that he will remain as their senior football manager until the end of the 2025 season alongside last year’s management team.

"Dessie and his backroom team have dedicated so much of their