No resignations or appointments recommended while Donegal GAA review runs

The independent review into Donegal GAA is expected to be completed by the end of May.

GAA Director General Tom Ryan addressed the clubs of the county in Convoy tonight, with Shane Flanagan, the GAA’s Director of Coaching Games Development; Jack Cooney, National Player Development Lead and Ulster Council president Ciaran McLaughlin all in attendance.

The review, which was announced last month, will cover the Donegal GAA Academy, as well as both finance and governance, with its findings to be returned on May 31.

There had been motions on the agenda for tonight’s meeting, put forward by Four Masters and Baile na nGalloglach club in Milford, calling for resignations of two senior officers in relation, respectively, to the Academy fallout and the appointment process to succeed Declan Bonner as senior team manager late last year.

The clubs were advised not to push forward on these until the review is finished and it was recommended that there should be no resignations or appointments in the meantime.

At last month’s special sitting of Donegal County Committee, it was agreed that an approach would be made to Karl Lacey to ask him to return to his role as head of the Academy. Lacey, who was over the coaching of players from U-14 level up to U-20, resigned from his position in February and was followed by over 35 coaches from the Academy in a show of solidarity.

"The coaches, performance support and logistics support feel that the development vision and pathway for Donegal is not aligned with or supported by the leadership within the county," read a statement from the coaches.

“We wish to clearly state that there is no suggestion of any misconduct relating to Karl or academy personnel,” read a Donegal County Board statement 10 days ago. “We also most strongly caution against and condemn any such suggestion. All finances and governance of the academy have always been the sole responsibility of the County Committee.

“We look forward to working through the recent issues with our academy personnel and building on the great work achieved until this point. We once again thank Karl Lacey for his outstanding and exemplary efforts to date, as a strong role model for all that is good in our games.

“We wish to state it is the express wish of our County Committee that Karl and the coaches would return and we are working hard and are hopeful that they will reconsider their positions.

“We acknowledge this has been a difficult time for all concerned. The GAA in Donegal should be a place where excellence is the standard and that we all play our part in ensuring this happens.”