RORY GALLAGHER HAS stepped down as the manager of the Derry senior footballers.

Domestic abuse allegations were made against Gallagher by his estranged wife, Nicola Gallagher, in a post on social media last week.

“Derry GAA can today confirm that Rory Gallagher has stepped down as the county’s senior football manager,” a statement released tonight reads.

“Ciaran Meenagh will assume the role for the rest of the 2023 season.

“Derry GAA will be making no further comment at this time.”

Gallagher, who was appointed as Derry manager in September 2019,  said he was “stepping back” from his position ahead of last Sunday’s Ulster football final.

Meenagh took over as manager for the game, which saw Derry beat Armagh after a penalty shootout in Clones.

But neither Gallagher nor the Derry county board offered any clarity at the time regarding Gallagher’s future with the county.

Derry GAA have said that they were “unaware of these allegations until they emerged last week” and that they had no record of receiving an email which was reportedly sent to them last year making claims against Rory Gallagher.

The Sunday Independent reported that it had seen an email, which was sent to Derry GAA by Nicola Gallagher’s father on 25 May 2022.

In response to the allegations made against him by Nicola Gallagher, Rory Gallagher said last week that they had been “investigated and dealt with by the relevant authorities”.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland investigated a number of reported incidents and two files were sent to the Public Prosecution Service last year, but the allegations were not pursued in the courts due to a lack of evidence. 

Written by The 42 Team and posted on the42.ie