Donegal County Board have confirmed that Rory Gallagher has stepped down as manager of the county senior team.
The Fermanagh native notified the players and the county executive of his decision on Monday evening.
Gallagher succeeded Jim McGuinness as senior team boss for the 2015 season, and had agreed a new three-year deal to remain in charge in 2016, but has opted out with two years of that deal remaining.
Gallagher led Donegal to Ulster finals in 2015 and 2016, but the youthful side suffered a heavy defeat to Tyrone in this year’s Ulster semi-final.
Donegal had beaten Antrim previous to that game in the provincial championship, and also comfortably survived in Division One of the National League, despite the high turnover of players since last season.
They also beat Longford and Meath in this year’s All-Ireland qualifiers, but lost heavily to Galway in Markievicz Park in round four on the weekend before last.
Gallagher was first brought into the Donegal intercounty set-up as a selector by McGuinness in 2011, helping them win the Ulster Championship that year and again in 2012, before they went on to claim the All-Ireland title.
McGuinness changed his backroom team before the 2014 season, and Gallagher instead assisted U21 boss Maxi Curran for that year, before his appointment as senior boss following McGuinness’s decision to step down after the All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry.
Gallagher was subject to online abuse on social media following the defeat to Galway, and Donegal PRO Ed Byrne will discuss this with Niall Delaney on Ocean FM’s North West Today on Tuesday morning.
Listen back to Rory Gallagher’s final post-match interview below:
