Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney has criticised Derry GAA for not having the ‘balls’ to bring back Rory Gallagher.

‘Banty’, whose Corduff management team featured Gallagher as coach this year, claims that the Fermanagh native was twice approached by the county board to return as manager in recent times and that the Derry players only want to play for him. Gallagher was in charge of the Oak Leaf County until days before the 2023 Ulster SFC final when allegations of abuse were made by his estranged wife, Nicola, which he strongly denied.

Mickey Harte eventually succeeded him as manager, but only lasted a year in the role. After an exhaustive four-month search for a replacement, Paddy Tally was handed the reins two nights ago.  

"I have no grey area, the Derry county board showed absolutely no balls, if there is not a better word there. They showed no bravery, and no balls to not re-appoint Rory Gallagher,” the outspoken ‘Banty’ told the Farney Army Pod on Thursday.

"Actually, they offered him the job in two periods over the last couple of months and didn't deliver on it, and have tried seven or 10 different managers.

"Now this evening it looks like Paddy Tally is going to be the manager, and let me start with this, Paddy Tally is a brilliant man, brilliant coach, but Derry had a great team in the '90s in 1993 and the county board showed no bravery with Eamonn Coleman (the then manager) and they dismantled a brilliant team.

"Now they showed no loyalty to the best manager they have had since. Rory Gallagher brought the whole clubs together in Derry, Rory Gallagher took them out of Division 3 to Division 1, won back-to-back Ulster titles, and would have won an All-Ireland, if he had been in place.

"This Derry county board is about to dismantle probably the greatest team of all-time."

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