Change of heart: Why Cathal Corey is back in club management with Bundoran

If someone told Cathal Corey last January he would be back in Donegal and managing Bundoran he would have laughed them out of sight.

No way - the decision was made and he had put away his coaching manuals for the last time after years of managing club teams in Donegal, Derry and his native Tyrone and put his toe in the intercounty water with Sligo seniors. The highlights on his CV was three separate stints with Naomh Conaill in Glenties.

Working alongside Jim McGuinness - who recruited him - and on his own as sole manager as well as alongside current boss Martin Regan, Naomh Conaill won three senior championships. He also guided Slaughtneil to a Derry league title. They loved the genial Kildress man in Glenties and still do.

But six months on and he is back patrolling the sideline once more. This time wearing the Bundoran manager’s bib. So what happened?

“I had genuinely hung up the boots and for me management was in the past. I had some great times. I had ups and downs and I felt it was time to move on,” he explained.

“My last club job was with Killyclogher in 2019. I took over for the second half of the season after Paul McIver, Brian McIver's son, quit mid-season and I was approached by Declan Carlin.

“But when the season was over I was gone out the gate and I was finished with management. It was time to move on. Before Christmas last year a group of us set up a four-piece band.

“We were in rehearsal and getting ready to take to the road when out of the blue one day at the end of January, I got a call from Brian McEniff.

“He said he wanted to chat with me about managing Bundoran and he wanted me to come down to meet him. “Even when I told him my situation and that I was finished with management he insisted I come down to Bundoran for a chat. And a few days later I was in Bundoran talking to Brian. We chatted for a couple of hours and he told me about the team and the players and what they hoped to achieve.

“A few hours later coming back up the road I was Bundoran manager. Brian is a persuasive man that was at the beginning of February.”

Because of the covid lockdown and the restrictions in movements the new manager had to wait the guts of three months before he got to have his first training session.

“The 10th of May was our first session,” Corey said. “Unlike in other parts of the county where it might have been possible to sneak in a few sessions, it certainly is not an option in Bundoran.

“There are two many people coming and going and where the pitch is situated in the town it is very open so you could not change it even if you wanted to. The lads were working on their own and Michael Cawley, from Kildress, is the strength and conditioning coach and he did out personal training plans for all the lads.”

Former Donegal minor and U-21 Darragh Dolan, Barry McGowan, Gavin Crawley, Christy Keaney and John McPartland complete the management team.

“I have a good team around me,” Corey added. “They are all good workers and keen to do well. The players are keen to and those that are at home and available are training well and putting in a big effort. The problem at the minute is having everybody available for training and even games.

“There are a number of lads away from home and the Brennans, Paul and Jamie, are away with the county at the moment and we have lads in Dublin and Belfast and Peter McGonigle is working and living down in Longford.

“Gary Clancy is in Liverpool. I haven’t laid eyes on him yet but he is due home shortly slowly but surely they are coming back and we are getting stronger every week.”

Bundoran have two games played in the league. They drew with Glenswilly,away, on their first day out. Their first round game with St Michael’s was postponed due to the death of St Michael’s club president Brian McGinley. Bundoran were well beaten by St Eunan’s last weekend at home in Gaelic Park.

“St Eunans are a very strong physical side and they are a quality team,” Corey added. “We probably could have been a little closer to them at the end and they deserved to win.
“Against Glenswilly we fought back well to come from behind in the closing minutes to get a draw. Division One in Donegal is very competitive and our main objective for the season is to retain our status and move on to the championship and take it from there.”

And what about the four-piece?: “It is called the Band of Gold and we hope to do some weddings and functions. I play the accordion and the keyboards.” Corey will be hoping to press the right buttons with Bundoran.