Henry Shefflin takes on Kilkenny U20 position with high-profile management team

Graigue-Ballycallan’s Richie O’Neill, who has worked with Shefflin in Galway as well as Shamrocks, is also on board in what is an impressive management team that also features former county minor coach Seán Kelly of St Martin’s as head coach and James Gittens (Dicksboro) as coach/selector.

Nathan Culleton of James Stephens will be strength and conditioning coach while Hogan’s club-mates Stephen Murphy and Fergal Brennan are Shefflin’s goalkeeping coach and performance analyst respectively.

Shefflin takes over from Mark Dowling who stepped down in July. Tipperary coach and former Kilkenny goalkeeper David Herity, who is currently assisting Shefflin in Shamrocks, is set to remain with Liam Cahill in 2025.

Eleven-time All Star Shefflin left Galway after three seasons in charge last year and his first county appointment in Kilkenny will spark speculation he might be Derek Lyng’s successor when he steps away from the senior position.

Lyng was given a new two-year term last month and will have his Kilkenny team-mate Eddie Brennan in his set-up for 2025 along with former Laois and Wexford coach Niall Corcoran.

Meanwhile, Declan Bonner is the new Fermanagh manager after he was ratified to succeed Kieran Donnelly on Monday night.

The two-time Donegal boss is the last managerial appointment ahead of next year’s All-Ireland senior football championship.

Bonner succeeds Donnelly who stepped down in August after four seasons in charge and the appointment follows former Fermanagh U20 manager Maurice McLaughlin’s decision to withdraw his interest in the position.

Na Rossa man Bonner, who guided Donegal to back-to-back Ulster SFC titles in 2018 and ’19, is currently in charge of Erne Gaels who he guided to Fermanagh SFC glory last season.

Fermanagh are one of five teams who can be drawn in the preliminary round of the Ulster SFC in 2026 having not been paired in that opening provincial game in the last two seasons.

Exempt from the preliminary round are Derry and Donegal who faced off this year as well as Cavan and Monaghan. Fermanagh were defeated by Down by two points in this year’s Ulster quarter-final and reached the semi-final stages of the Tailteann Cup.

After the McKenna Cup, they will commence their season in Division 3 where they finished fourth this past season, a single point behind Kildare, Offaly and Clare.

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