Former boss Rory Gallagher ‘not in consideration for the position’ of Derry football manager

The race to fill the Derry hot seat has been going at a snail's pace with over 10 weeks passed since Harte stepped aside on July 8 and the 2024 Division 1 League champions are seemingly no closer to finalising a manager for 2025.

A return for Gallagher, who led them to the '22 Ulster title, had been mooted in some quarters but the door has been shut on that today with a Derry statement saying that the former Derry, Donegal and Fermanagh boss was "not in consideration for the position".

Gallagher had released a statement through his solicitors earlier today stating his intentions to return to inter-county management and that he had written, via his legal representatives, to the Derry county board to outline his position in relation to a return.

Speaking to The Irish News, Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law stated that "there is no legal barrier to our client returning to inter-county GAA management" before adding that "our client fully intends to return to inter-county management in the near future."

Gallagher initially "stepped back" initially from the Derry job on the eve of the 2023 Ulster final, explaining his reasons were "borne out of a desire to protect my children from the ongoing turmoil", following allegations of domestic abuse by his ex-wife Nicola on social media.

He formally stepped down two days later with Ciarán Meenagh taking the reins until the end of the season but Gallagher has been linked to a return ever since and has been a regular feature on the club sideline this year with Monaghan side Corduff.

Gallagher was arrested in October 2021 with the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) receiving two investigation files from the PSNI, in January 2022 and June 2022.

After the available evidence was considered, decisions not to prosecute any individual were issued in January 2022 and September 2022.

Subsequently, Ulster Council established a review to examine the GAA's response to adult safeguarding practice.

Gallagher was "temporarily debarred" by Ulster officials while it continued with the review but in February, the DRA lifted the ban.