Rory Gallagher's seven-year involvement with the Donegal footballers is over, as he confirmed last night that he is stepping down from his role as manager. It will be remembered as a reign cleaved in two: he strode through Valhalla alongside Jim McGuinness in 2012, before assuming the vanguard for the bump back to earth with a much-changed, youthful squad.
Gallagher's reign is besmirched by the craven collapse against Galway a couple of weeks ago, but overall his reign, while disappointing, should not be considered a total failure. He has lost nine of the players who won the All-Ireland five years ago, and still managed to retain Division One status this year having been mightily close to an Ulster title in 2016.
Gallagher received a disproportionate amount of abuse this year, to the extent that the Donegal County Board reported and blocked a number of Facebook pages which hosted bile directed to Gallagher.
Nonetheless, Gallagher is now gone, with goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley tweeting his despair that fans who believe football was invented in 2011 had their way:
Extremely disappointed to see Rory go! Sad day when keyboard warriors & people who think football was invented in 2011 get their way!!
— Mark A Mc Ginley (@markamcginley) July 31, 2017
Former player Eamon McGee paid tribute to Gallagher upon the announcement:
Elsewhere, David Brady responded to the news as it broke on Newstalk's Off The Ball. The former Mayo midfielder accentuated Gallagher's troubles: the change in the squad, and the shadow of Jim McGuinness.
Nine of their main guys - All Ireland winning team, experienced team, crucial players - they left, so he had to manage a transformation process.
I'd say a lot of the young guys would have liked to have bedded in with Rory Gallagher a bit longer....
....He has served Donegal very well, in the shadow of Jimmy McGuinness, who I don't think did him any favours whatsoever.
It wasn't right. The greatest sign of a manager and loayer is humility. And Jimmy didn't serve it to one of his guys. Rory Gallagher definitely had a part to play. But when the man you're in the trenches with starts throwing a few grenades at you, I don't think it's a sign of a good individual.
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