Cieran Kelly set to seek Donegal GAA chair   

Cieran Kelly looks set to be the first person to step up to the plate in the bid to succeed outgoing Donegal GAA chairman Fergus McGee. 

DonegalLive understands that the St Naul’s clubman, a former county treasurer and currently one of Donegal’s two Ulster Council delegates, will allow his name to go forward at December’s convention. 

McGee is stepping down from his role after just one year at the helm. The St Eunan’s clubman succeeded Mick McGrath at the tail end of 2022 but inherited a number of problematic issues that quickly spiraled out of control. 

A brewing issue between the board and Academy lead Karl Lacey came to a spectacular head in February when both he and his coaches downed tools and walked citing a lack of support for their efforts. 

A subsequent, independent review into the governance of Donegal GAA was carried out by Croke Park and found numerous failings in relation to how they were conducting their business.

Performances on the field were also less than satisfactory with the appointment of Paddy Carr as boss an underwhelming one. He’d soon get pushed out the door in March as the team slipped to Division 2. 

Aidan O’Rourke took up the reins but Donegal fell at the first hurdle, in Ulster, away to Down while their All-Ireland aspirations ended by Tyrone, at the preliminary round quarter-final stages, in Ballybofey. 

McGee though did help pull the nose back up in August when he and his five-person committee, including 1992 legends Anthony Molloy and Martin McHugh, convinced Jim McGuinness to come back on board as senior football team manager.  

McGee is yet to publicly comment on the reasons why he’s decided to end his tenure so prematurely, just 12 months into what is usually a five-year term. 

But it’s understood that when he explained his decision at a behind-closed-doors meeting last week, he expressed his own personal disappointment with a number of fellow executive members, whom he felt he didn’t have the backing of. 

Meanwhile, Jim McGuinness has made further additions to his backroom team this week. 

Both Dr Charlie McManus and Joe McCloskey have come back into the mix having previously served under the Glenties man during his first tenure in charge. 

2012 All-Ireland winners Colm McFadden and Neil McGee are already in place as is former Donegal minor boss Luke Barrett.  

Leitrim native McManus, and McCloskey, are both Naomh Conall club members, with the latter once again set to act as the panel’s official kitman. 

McGuinness has been a permanent fixture as most club championship games in Donegal over the last number of months. He was once again present in MacCumhaill Park on Sunday for Naomh Conaill’s comfortable SFC decider win over Gaoth Dobhair. 

On his side’s huge Ulster SFC opener against Mickey Harte’s Derry, he joked: "A nice handy start and probably what we predicted more than anything.

"Nobody would put the fear of god into you more than Mickey to be honest with you. He definitely kept me up late many a night in years gone by so, listen, I have great respect for him and what he does.

"I am delighted to see him back. Obviously, there was a lot of controversy around the decision on one level but from my point of view, on the outside looking in, I can see why he made it. 

“He sees a team with a huge amount of potential, that could potentially win the All Ireland and he's a man that has been proven to get teams over the line with three All Ireland titles to his names so we'll need to be ready.

"We'll need to be on top form to be able to compete with that Derry team, particularly a Derry team that is coached by Mickey."

He added: "Listen, it will be great. We went there in 2014, an amazing stadium to go to, and obviously, Mickey will have Derry in fine fettle. We would consider Derry a top-tier team and we have a couple of tiers to reach over the next couple of years hopefully.

"We know what is ahead of us. They have really grasped the mettle in terms of the Ulster Championship and they will be a very tough nut to crack."