Mickey Moran exits stage left after scaling the summit with Kilcoo

Mickey Moran's over 40-year career in Gaelic football management appears to be over after he stepped down from his position as Kilcoo manager, three weeks after leading the Down champions to the All-Ireland club SFC title.

Kilcoo were staring down the barrel of back-to-back defeats on the big day before Jerome Johnston's last-second goal secured victory over Kilmacud Crokes.

It was a first All-Ireland crown as a manager for the 69-year-old Derry man, who took charge of his native county three times - the first as a 29-year-old player manager in 1981 - leading them to a league title in 1994/5.

The Maghera native was coach to Eamon Coleman for the Oak Leafer's sole All-Ireland triumph to date in 1993

Moran also had stints in charge of Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim and Mayo, leading the Green and Red to the 2006 Connacht title and All-Ireland final, where they were beaten by Kerry.

He has also managed numerous college, underage and club teams, steering Slaughtneil to All-Ireland finals in 2015 and 2017.

Kilcoo club secretary Seamus O'Hanlon said that he understood Moran, who turns 70 in April, was going into retirement after confirming his departure to the players last night.

"It was a very amicable parting of ways," O'Hanlon told RTÉ Sport. "The players gave him a guard of honour last night going into the changing rooms. It shows the regard he was held in.

"His name is forever going to be held in very high regard in Kilcoo. We hope he won't be a stranger and I don't think he will be.

"He was the conductor of the orchestra. When he came (in 2019) we got our first ever Ulster title and got to an All-Ireland final.

"We weren't a million miles away against Corofin and then unfortunately Covid came into the scenario. We came back and reclaimed