Thumbs up from London and Tir Chonaill Gaels for new Donegal manager Paddy Carr

New Donegal manager Paddy Carr will be a breath of fresh air for Donegal football according to representatives of one of his former clubs, Tirconaill Gaels in London.

Fanad native Carr was unveiled as the new boss of the Donegal senior team at a specially convened County Committee meeting in Convoy on Monday. He will have former All-Ireland winner with Armagh, Aidan O’Rourke, as his head coach. The rest of his backroom team has yet to be completed.

The new manager’s CV shows an impressive list of playing and managerial positions. While his time as a Donegal senior footballer in the early 1980s was a short one, his managerial CV includes the Louth senior job as well as club manager positions with Kilmacud Crokes, with whom he won an All-Ireland club title, Ballymun Kickhams, Burren in Co Down and St Brigid’s in Roscommon.

He also has spent quite an amount of time with Tirconaill Gaels in London both as a player and later as coach and manager. He is remembered fondly there and still retains a strong link with the club.

One of his clubmates on the playing field in the mid to late 1980s was well-known Tirconaill Gaels man, Brendan ‘Tiny’ Vaughan, and he was full of praise for the new manager.

“He was the only man willing to take the job,” Vaughan said. “He was a very good footballer himself and when he came here in the mid 1980s he brought new training methods which helped Tirconaill Gaels.”

He may be living in Ardee and working in Meath, but he is a Donegal man first and foremost and a very proud Donegal man.
Another Tirconaill Gaels stalwart Seamus Carr of Carrick has known Carr since that time and he feels he “will be a breath of fresh air” for Donegal football.

Tom Mohan and Parr following their side's victory over Kingdom Kerry Gaels at Ruislip in the 2012 London SFC

“The one thing about him is that he will play attacking football. The negative stuff, he wouldn’t be too much into. He had a very attacking style when he was with us,” said Carr.

“He was in charge of our senior team for a number of years, very methodical with a sharp football brain. He is a real gentleman. He’s been around and he has been around a number of counties. And if you put it all together, he has a very good CV.

“He would be very professional on the sideline; there will be no abusive shouting like that. He has been a good friend to us all over here.

“We’re delighted that he has got the job and we wish him and Aidan O’Rourke well,” said Carr, who feels that he is coming into the job with no axe to grind with anyone and it will mean that all the players are fighting for their places.