The managerial merry-go-round is almost as busy as the ferris wheel at Electric Picnic which, if you didn't know, runs almost the entire way through the night.
Please don't ask how that fun-fact came to mind but it is time to ask about managerial vacancies.
As things stand, there are five Gaelic football posts waiting to be filled ahead of the 2025 inter-county season.
Westmeath
The hot-seat is vacant in the Lake county on the back of Dessie Dolan's departure just over a week ago.
Westmeath displayed their talent winning the Tailteann Cup in 2022 against Cavan (Dolan was a selector under Jack Cooney for that triumph) before competing honourably in the All-Ireland group stages in his first year as manager in 2023.
Only a kick of a ball denied them a place in the knock-outs that year but they went down a little more tamely in 2024.
Winning the Division Three title against Down was the highlight of Dolan's reign and now attention turns to finding a successor.
The job becomes more difficult with the news that Andy McCormack and David Lynch are on their travels with James Dolan having retired.
Former player John Keane is the favourite having been in the backroom team for the last two years with Lar Wall and Jason Sherlock in the mix.
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAyNFxcXC8wOFxcXC8yMDE0NDQwNVxcXC9KSy5qcGdcIixcIndpZHRoXCI6OTkxLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6Njc3LFwiZGVmYXVsdFwiOlwiaHR0cHM6XFxcL1xcXC93d3cuYmFsbHMuaWVcXFwvaW1hZ2VzXFxcL2JyYW5kLWltYWdlLmpwZ1wiLFwib3B0aW9uc1wiOntcIm91dHB1dFwiOlwid2VicFwiLFwicXVhbGl0eVwiOjk5fX0iLCJoYXNoIjoiNWMwYmRmMGI1NzJlZWM3MzkzZTRhNmM3NjdmZGRlNzQ3MDE2ZTY5MyJ9/the-likely-lads-to-fill-five-vacant-managerial-positions-in-inter-county-gaelic-football.jpg)
Two-time All-Star John Keane has been in the Westmeath backroom team over the last few years. Sportsfile.
Likely lads: John Keane, Lar Wall, Jason Sherlock.
Monaghan
Corey's resignation was arguably the surprise of the off-season given that, overall, he's enjoyed a successful two year stint.
Surviving in Division One before running Dublin close in the All-Ireland semi-final was an incredible debut campaign and while relegation and an exit at the preliminary quarter final stage was disappointing in 2024, he was due another crack.
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAyM1xcXC8wM1xcXC8yNzEyNTMxOVxcXC8yNDY4MDA1LmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjc2OFwiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI1MTRcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6IjlhYjE4NjJmYjM2NWI5MzRmNDQ0ZGEzMTAzZDljZTcxNjg0NGYyMzEifQ==/the-likely-lads-to-fill-five-vacant-managerial-positions-in-inter-county-gaelic-football.jpg)
Walked away of his own accord. Sportsfile.
Likely lads: Paddy Tally, Andy Moran.
Derry
The glamour-job of the bunch.
Their championship was poor but their potential is clear. On the whole, it didn't work out for Mickey Harte despite winning the Division One title but he leaves a high class squad behind him.
Malachy O'Rourke reportedly turned down the chance to take over at the beginning of last season to stay on with Glen.
Now that they're All-Ireland champs, would another challenge interest him more? Only time will tell though he was on the line for their championship win against Bellaghy in the second round last Sunday, having lost to Slaughtneil first time out.
Rory Gallagher has also been linked with a return.
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAyNFxcXC8wMVxcXC8zMTE2MTE1OFxcXC8yNzEzNjcyLmpwZ1wiLFwid2lkdGhcIjpcIjc2OFwiLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6XCI0OTRcIixcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6ImVlMzJmYTA1YjNmZWZiZDcxMjk4ZGY2MmE2YmY2Y2JiYzcwNjQ1M2EifQ==/the-likely-lads-to-fill-five-vacant-managerial-positions-in-inter-county-gaelic-football.jpg)
Likely lads: Malachy O'Rourke, Rory Gallagher.
Carlow
Kildare native Niall Carey got a good tune out of Carlow during a three and a half year stint but decided to move on at the end of the season.
Reaching the Division Four final in 2021 and the last eight of the Tailteann Cup in '22 were the highlights but having narrowly missed out on promotion to Division Three this year, that will be a clear target for whoever the new boss is.
Having won four consecutive county titles with his own club Éire Óg between 2017 and 2020, Joe Murphy has strong credentials.
He managed Naas last year, bringing them to the Leinster final against Kilmacud Crokes.
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAyNFxcXC8wOFxcXC8yMDE1MTgzM1xcXC9KTU0uanBnXCIsXCJ3aWR0aFwiOjk5MSxcImhlaWdodFwiOjU5OCxcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL2ltYWdlc1xcXC9icmFuZC1pbWFnZS5qcGdcIixcIm9wdGlvbnNcIjp7XCJvdXRwdXRcIjpcIndlYnBcIixcInF1YWxpdHlcIjo5OX19IiwiaGFzaCI6IjZjYjA5ZDQ1MTYxNTkxY2RjZWM5MzhiOWJkNTI5ZmUzZDJjYjE1ZmQifQ==/the-likely-lads-to-fill-five-vacant-managerial-positions-in-inter-county-gaelic-football.jpg)
Likely lad. Sportsfile.
Likely lads: Joe Murphy.
Longford
Paddy Christie left the midlanders after a disappointing second season in 2024 where they were pointless in the Tailteann Cup and fourth in Division Four.
Enda McGahern is in the frame having won the county's first Leinster minor title in fourteen years as is under-20 manager Kieran Carey.
![](https://img.resized.co/balls_ie/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL21lZGlhLmJhbGxzLmllXFxcL3VwbG9hZHNcXFwvMjAyNFxcXC8wOFxcXC8yMDE1MjcwNlxcXC9FTS5qcGdcIixcIndpZHRoXCI6OTkxLFwiaGVpZ2h0XCI6NTk5LFwiZGVmYXVsdFwiOlwiaHR0cHM6XFxcL1xcXC93d3cuYmFsbHMuaWVcXFwvaW1hZ2VzXFxcL2JyYW5kLWltYWdlLmpwZ1wiLFwib3B0aW9uc1wiOntcIm91dHB1dFwiOlwid2VicFwiLFwicXVhbGl0eVwiOjk5fX0iLCJoYXNoIjoiMDlkYTA4NmM1MDIzZTJmN2ZkNDU3ZDk3YjZhNWI2NjY2M2Q2YTFhYiJ9/the-likely-lads-to-fill-five-vacant-managerial-positions-in-inter-county-gaelic-football.jpg)
Likely lads: Enda McGahern, Kieran Carey.
Elsewhere, Kildare, Tipperary and Leitrim are reportedly due to announce Brian Flanagan, Philly Ryan and Mickey Graham as their respective incumbents with the fate of Brian Dooher and Fearghal Logan to be revealed after a Tyrone county board meeting this Thursday.