Eamonn Sheridan ready for Oscar Traynor bow against Inishowen League

There’s a curiosity about Eamonn Sheridan’s journey back into the managerial fray — a man content to enjoy the silence of football's absence pulled back by a ringing phone.   

The Donegal Junior League job wasn’t in his plans, but when the opportunity called, he answered.  

Last August, the ex-Finn Harps striker departed the job as Rathmullan manager after four seasons having taken charge in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic.  

In his second full season, the team remained competitive at the top of the table for much of the campaign and made an impressive run to the Area Final of the Brian McCormick Cup, narrowly losing to Letterkenny Rovers in an intense match at Flagpole Field.  

Last season, the Hoops continued to achieve solid results, finishing mid-table in the Donegal League Premier Division.  

When the season ended last season, he was happy for the break, until the position as manager of the Donegal Junior League for their Oscar Traynor campaign came calling.  

“I got a phone call not that long ago asking if I would like to come in and take the Oscar Traynor team management position,” he said.  

“I think at that stage, I was happy to be out of the game for the first time in a long time, but they eventually gave me a few days to think about it, I got a few people to come along with me and I’m enjoying it now.”  

This Saturday, Sheridan takes charge for the first time, facing a derby as charged with familiarity as it is with rivalry as his Donegal Junior League side takes on the Inishowen League equivalent in the opening round of the Oscar Traynor Cup.   

For Sheridan, it’s one he is looking forward to, but he knows that this weekend’s match offers little room for sentiment.   

“We’re under no illusions of the talent they have,” Sheridan says, his tone one of measured respect. “In these matches, it’s usually just the bounce of the ball. There’s never much in it.  

“We’re really looking forward to Saturday, it’s something we’ve been preparing for since last month where we’ve been looking at a lot of players and trying to give them all a chance of making the squad.”  

If preparation is the foundation of confidence, Sheridan has worked tirelessly to build his. With defensive coach Shane Bradley, midfield maestro Kyle Moloney, and forward coach Michael McHugh by his side, he has fine-tuned a squad drawn from a plethora of Donegal clubs.  

“We have a defensive coach in Shane Bradley, Kyle Moloney is in charge of midfield, and Michael McHugh is helping the forwards out, so, they’re all picking up on little things and it’s great to have them on board for that reason,” Sheridan said.  

“Of course, we have to pick from a big selection of players, and many players will feel hard done by, but it is what it is.  

“A lot of the preparation is done during the week, so, it doesn’t take up much of my time, and between the four of us on the coaching team, we manage to cover a lot of games and see a lot of different players.

READ NEXT: Martin O’Neill to host special evening in Letterkenny this week

“The coaches around the county have also been very helpful in speaking to me about different players, which players are up to the challenge and who aren’t, so it’s great to have that support.”  

The stakes are heightened by the absence of Cavan and Monaghan-based county teams once again, leaving Donegal and Inishowen locked in a provincial duopoly.   

“It’s not great that Cavan and Monaghan have pulled out again this year, that’s not good for the competition in the province where only two teams play each other,” he said.   

“They should be able to field a team, but that’s where we’re at. We have to go to Inishowen this weekend and we know that anything can happen on the day and no doubt, it’ll be a great game.”  

Saturday in Inishowen won’t be easy — local derbies rarely are. Yet Sheridan, with his team of coaches and players, is quietly optimistic. The first step in his tenure promises to be as gritty and unpredictable as the game itself.  

“We have a couple of niggles coming into this weekend’s match, we don’t know how that’s going to go yet, but we have enough players which is great,” Sheridan said.  

“I know it’s a tough challenge playing on Inishowen’s own pitch but at least it’s a two-legged match, so it’s going to be a battle and hopefully we can put it up to them now.”  

Donegal Junior League squad: 

Adrian Delap, BJ Banda, Nathan Plumb, Shane O'Gara, Mark McGinley, Keith Cowan, Joel Bradley Walsh - Letterkenny Rovers 

Corrie Lee Brogan - Castlefin United 

Stephen Black - Kilmacrennan Celtic 

Kevin O'Donnell, Jack Park, Gareth Harkin, Dan O'Donnell, James Henry - Bonagee United 

Paddy Carr, Seamus Friel, Eddie O'Reilly, Eoin Logue - Fanad United 

Aiden Brennan, Paddy McGarvey - Keadue Rovers 

Ethan Harkin - Gweedore United 

Shane McGinty, Johnny Robb - Kildrum Tigers