Savvy appointment by then county board boss Michael Duignan may yet be franked as side on cusp of promotion
Offaly joint manager Mickey Harte with then county board chairman Michael Duignan after the game against Kildare. Photograph: James Crombie/Inphp
Speaking shortly afterwards, Harte said he wasn’t ready for “the pipe and slippers yet”, but at 72 years of age and with most managerial positions already filled, there didn’t appear many dressingroom doors left for him to push open. Just coming up on 12 months ago now, he stood on the Croke Park pitch watching Conor Glass lift the Division One league title after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Dublin. It felt like a statement win, a milestone moment in Derry’s development.
“The first time I met Mickey on this potentially happening I was blown away by the knowledge he had of the players, he had a lot of homework done, he was very enthusiastic, it felt right straight away,” recalls Duignan. “And the whole thing with the footballers had spiralled a little bit, and I didn’t want to leave it like that.”
Derry manager Mickey Harte with his side before kick-off in the 2024 All-Ireland quarter-final against Mayo in Castlebar. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho “I was anxious nobody heard anything second hand or rumours started up so I went to talk with Declan.” “He has been massively successful everywhere he has gone. He’s a legend in Tyrone and he really brought Louth on. Even in Derry, I have my own views on that, there was a lot of other stuff at play there and he still won a league title with them. I would always have had the highest regard for him.”
Making plans for Offaly: Joint managers Declan Kelly and Mickey Harte with then county board chairman Michael Duignan. Photograph: James Crombie/InphoHarte’s first official game with Offaly was their league opener against Sligo, a game they won by seven. Sharing the sideline with him that afternoon in the opposition dugout was Aaron Kernan, who is in his first year of coaching.“It’s incredible how long he has been doing it,” says the Armagh native.
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