Rory Gallagher steps back from Derry manager role

Derry football manager Rory Gallagher has announced he is stepping back from the role.

“I have advised Derry GAA that I am stepping back as Derry senior football manager with immediate effect. This decision is borne out of a desire to protect my children from the ongoing turmoil. They will always be my priority,” he said on Friday evening.

Earlier this week, allegations of domestic abuse were made against Mr Gallagher in a social media post by his former wife Nicola Gallagher.

Allegations were previously investigated by police in Northern Ireland and a decision was made not to prosecute.

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Prosecutors decided there was “insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction”, the North’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said on Thursday.

A statement on behalf of Derry GAA on Friday said: “Ciaran Meenagh will assume the role of Derry senior football manager” ahead of Sunday’s Ulster final against Armagh in Clones.

[ Ulster final at least has clarity after Rory Gallagher steps back from role as Derry manager ]

Earlier, a member of the North’s Assembly has called on Mr Gallagher to stand aside ahead of the Ulster final.

SDLP Cara Hunter MLA, who represents East Derry, said that “given the seriousness of the issues exposed this week” she did not believe it was “appropriate” for Mr Gallagher to lead the Derry team into the match and “he should do the right thing and stand aside”.

Ms Hunter said there were “women and girls across our community and across Ireland who will not be able to support his leadership of the team. They need to be respected and their voice needs to be heard”.

On Thursday, it emerged allegations of domestic abuse made against Mr Gallagher were investigated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) but a decision was made not to prosecute.

The PSNI said police “investigated a number of reported incidents and files have been submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS)”.

Two investigation files were sent to the PPS in January and June 2022 but prosecutors decided there was “insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction”, the prosecution service said.

It followed a response issued by Mr Gallagher through his solicitors to “very serious allegations” of domestic abuse made against him by his ex-wife in a social media post.

He said “allegations against me have been investigated and dealt with by the relevant authorities”.

The Derry manager was responding to a Facebook post by his former wife, who said she suffered a litany of violent attacks by Mr Gallagher over more than two decades.

She said she was speaking out “because I want any other young girl being abused [to know] that silence is not the answer”.

In a statement on Thursday, Derry GAA had said it “condemns all forms of domestic violence. We encourage anyone who has experienced domestic violence to report it to the relevant authorities immediately”.

One of the GAA’s most high-profile managers, Mr Gallagher steered to Derry to an Ulster football title and the All-Ireland semi-final last year.