Malachy O’Rourke becomes the second Fermanagh native to take charge of Tyrone senior footballers, following John Donnelly, who was manager for three seasons from 1989-90 to 1991-92.
Donnelly played for and managed his native Coa club, close to the Tyrone county border, then had a brief spell with Clann Eireann in Lurgan before joining up with Trillick in 1973 and going on to become a club legend.
John Donnelly won five Tyrone senior football championships with the St Macartan’s in the 70s and 80s, as well as seven Tyrone Division One league titles, including four in a row from 1982 to 1985 as player-manager.
He also lined out for Fermanagh footballers for a dozen seasons, but did represent Tyrone Masters, part of the Red Hand panel which reached the All-Ireland Final at that level in 1990.
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That same year John succeeded Donal Donnelly from Omagh as Tyrone boss after the 1989 campaign ended with defeat by Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Donnelly’s Championship record was unfortunate, losing out by a point against Armagh in 1990 and then by the same margin against Derry the following year, before the Oak Leafers again defeated the Red Hands, by 1-10 to 1-7, in 1992.
However, John Donnelly enjoyed more success with Tyrone in the National League, notably in 1992, when they went all the way to the final, although Derry again triumphed, helped by a fortuitous late goal.
Before that, though, Donnelly’s Tyrone team had beaten big teams, including holders Dublin twice (including in the semi-final), as well as Mayo and Cork.
Donnelly also had the honour of handing a Tyrone senior debut to Peter Canavan during his time in charge. Like O’Rourke, John Donnelly worked as a teacher, a long-serving principal at St Scire’s PS in Trillick.
