Is it time for Roscommon to ‘Shop Local’ during managerial search?

Remember the advertising slogan from years ago — “Shop Local for just what you want”?

If Roscommon want to unearth a quick solution to finding Davy Burke’s successor, it may be the mantra those tasked with finding the new manager need to adopt.

The process that eventually led to Burke replacing Anthony Cunningham at the end of October ’22 took the guts of three months. It was a protracted saga that drained the enthusiasm out of everyone with a grá for the Primrose and Blue.

By the time Burke was ratified, a collective sigh of relief replaced any potential collective excitement about the Kildare native’s appointment.

No one wants a repeat selection process where Roscommon end up going down cul-de-sacs. But the demands of intercounty management, which currently sees three of Connacht’s five counties on the lookout for a new boss, mean that a quick appointment appears unlikely.

Unless, of course, Roscommon decides to “Shop Local”.

The ideal scenario is to have Burke’s replacement in situ for the opening rounds of the club championships in August. For that to happen, realistically, the new boss has to be a Rossie.

Since the turn of the Millennium, Gay Sheeran, Paul Earley, Donie Shine (RIP), Mike Ryan, Fergal O’Donnell and Des Newton have been the ones with “Primrose and Blue” blood running through their veins that have drank from what some consider to be a poisoned chalice.

Of course, it’s a great honour to become the shepherd of one’s own flock, but in a relatively small county like Roscommon, it’s hard to be immune from “small talk” and “rumours”.

Sheeran’s three-year tenure came to an end after the shock defeat to Leitrim in 2000. Earley, Shine and Ryan essentially fulfilled caretaker roles following the resignations of Tommy Carr and John Maughan in 2005 and 2008 respectively, while Des Newton’s tenure in 2012 only lasted a year.

Even after Fergal O’Donnell came on board for three years to steady the ship in 2009 — the highlight being a Connacht title no one expected in 2010 — his return to hot seat in 2016 ended on a sour note following a well-documented split with his joint manager Kevin McStay.

And yet, it’s unfair to suggest that Roscommon have been obsessed with appointing “outside managers”, considering that McStay and Anthony Cunningham, who have steered the ship between 2017 and 2021, have made the county their home and raised their families here.

However, the feeling on the ground is that Roscommon need to look from within in the aftermath of Davy Burke’s departure.

Burke didn’t become a bad manager but his messages became scattered and subsequently diluted as results didn’t match expectations, especially towards the latter end of this season where no one was really surprised that Roscommon lost out to Cork — a side they had walloped by 14 points in the league a few months earlier.

As supporters shrugged their shoulders and trudged out of Portlaoise deflated a few weeks ago, there was also a sense that the connection between them and the players had been lost.

So whether a trawl inside the county eventually leads to white smoke, it must be explored initially to circle the wagons.

It is understood that Noel Dunning has been nominated to replace Davy Burke as Roscommon senior football manager. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

At first glance, there is no apparent standout candidate — a young manager that has been put in place at underage level with a view to taking the senior job down the line.

Current U-20 manager, Cian Smith, may be the chosen one in the years to come but it would be unfair to expect the former Boyle boss to step into the firing line, considering that his brothers Enda and Donie are still part of the current squad.

If the rumour mill is to be believed, it is understood that Noel Dunning has been nominated by at least one club to succeed Burke, and the St. Aidan’s man will feel entitled to a shot at the big time having guided Roscommon to Connacht U-20 glory in 2024 alongside learning the ropes as a selector with Anthony Cunningham.

O’Donnell’s legacy ensures that his name will always be mentioned when the Roscommon vacancy pops up, while Frankie Dolan, Mark Dowd or Nigel Dineen may feel that it’s now or never in terms of managing their native county.

So there are options worth sussing out inside the county, and the selection committee must exhaust them all before deciding whether to direct their attention elsewhere.

By “shopping local”, Roscommon may not exactly get what they want but it should be the first port of call before an information vacuum develops and subsequent “Kieran Donaghy to Roscommon” rumours spread like wildfire.

Let the conclave begin.

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