FORMER Derry and Lavey hurling great Collie McGurk will be ratified as Derry’s new manager at a county committee meeting on Tuesday.
McGurk was part of the Oak Leaf football squad that won the All-Ireland football title in 1993, but also represented the county with distinction on the hurling field. He is the holder of 16 county medals from his playing career with the Erin’s Own - 12 in hurling and four in football - as well an All-Ireland club football title.
McGurk has been a prominent figure around underage hurling within the club in recent years and his name will be put forward tonight as the only nomination for the post.
Belfast native Mickey Glover is set to join him on the ticket. Glover was in charge of Slaughtneil when they won the first two Derry hurling titles of their four in-a-row. He guided them to an Ulster final in 2013, which they lost to Loughgiel, before Cushendall edged them out the following year after a replay, when an epic first game had finished level after extra-time.
There are expected to be further additions to the new managerial setup in the coming weeks as they take over from Tom McLean. He stepped down after five years involved with the Oak Leafers. He served the first three under previous manager Ger Rogan before taking over himself and guiding Derry to their first Christy Ring final last year.
However, the loss of two-thirds of that team led to a difficult 2016 in which Derry were relegated to Division 3A of the National League and the Nicky Rackard Cup for next year.
McGurk’s hopes of persuading a larger Slaughtneil contingent to don the county colours and spearhead their bid for success will have to go on ice until the middle of the National League at least.
The Emmet’s involvement in the All-Ireland club hurling semi-final in February, and their potential involvement in the national football series as well, will mean McGurk will begin his tenure without any of them at his disposal.
Meanwhile, the Central Competitions Control Committee has said that the possibility of Slaughtneil reaching the All-Ireland deciders in both hurling and football is on their radar.
Were the club to complete a provincial treble against Kilcoo on Sunday week, it would heighten the chances of them reaching the All-Ireland finals. They have traditionally been played as a Croke Park double-header on St. Patrick’s Day, but the overlap of dual players for Slaughtneil would make such a scenario impossible.
The CCCC have not yet put any contingency plan in place for the event, but say they are monitoring the possibility of what remains an outside bet.
