BY MATTHEW WILSON
NEWLY appointed St Eunan’s manager Kieran Donnelly is looking forward to meeting the squad and getting to work as they strive towards a strong campaign in 2026.
Donnelly is an experienced coach who has spent time in the past managing Scotstown in Monaghan before becoming the manager of his native Fermanagh for the past four seasons.
Donnelly, pictured right, stepped down as manager of the Ernesiders back in August and will take over the responsibilities at O’Donnell Park from previous manager Barry Meehan.
He’ll be joined at St Eunan’s by Fearghal Quinn as assistant manager. Quinn had worked alongside Donnelly in his two previous roles at Scotstown and Fermanagh.
Speaking to the Donegal News this week, Donnelly expressed his excitement at getting involved in Donegal club football.
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s been in the pipeline for a couple of weeks but we’re just glad to get it confirmed. It’s a challenge that I’m looking forward to.
“I’m looking forward to Donegal club football and the Donegal club scene. It’s an extremely competitive championship and it’s proved that over the last couple of years.
“I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into that, meeting the players and getting started after Christmas.
“It’s a great club, I’ve met a lot of good people so far who have a serious passion for St Eunan’s. They’ve the structures and the set-ups from underage right the way through.
“There’s been a lot of good work from a lot of people to develop that infrastructure from deep and again, they want to transfer that over to the senior team and that’s something that I’ve remarked so far, the amount of work that’s going on in the background.
“We know at senior level as well, there’s been a good squad and it has been developed by the past management teams over the last four or five years. Again, I’m looking forward to working with the whole club community, the club members and the entire St Eunan’s senior squad.”
The Letterkenny men lost their county crown last term, suffering a preliminary quarter-final defeat to Termon.
They’ll certainly be hoping to regain the title in 2026 and Donnelly expects to have a determined squad that will be looking to progress.
“Donegal football is in a good place. Jim McGuinness has brought Donegal to an elite level over the past few years and that’s relayed back to the club scene.
“There’s a lot of teams now that are coming. No doubt the squad will be hungry to put the wrongs right from last year, it was a tough defeat last year in the Termon game.
“I’d imagine that we’ll have a hungry looking team to progress further in the Championship next year as will a lot of clubs thinking the same.
“It’s a squad that I’m looking forward to working with and meeting in 2026.”
