Board pays tribute as Jim McGuinness calls it quits for Donegal
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In Pictures: Jim McGuinness - A Donegal legend Close
21 September 2014; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness consoles Colm McFadden after the game. GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Final, Kerry v Donegal. Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Dáire Brennan / SPORTSFILE
30 November 2012; Celtic performance consultant Jim McGuinness, left, with manager Neil Lennon during squad training ahead of their side's Scottish Cup match against Arbroath on Saturday. Celtic Squad Training, Lennoxtown, Glasgow, Scotland. Picture credit: Jeff Holmes / SPORTSFILE
24 September 2012; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness with Finn Geraghty, age 9, from Ranelagh, Dublin, and the Sam Maguire Cup during a visit to Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin. Picture credit: Barry Cregg / SPORTSFILE
23 September 2012; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness, with his son Jimmy, age 8 months, celebrates after the game. GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final, Donegal v Mayo, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness and his son Jimmy, age 18 months, in 2012 with the Sam Maguire Cup after the game. GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final, Donegal v Mayo, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
23 September 2012; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness celebrates after the game. GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final, Donegal v Mayo, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Paul Mohan / SPORTSFILE
21 September 2014; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness consoles Darach OConnor. GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Final, Kerry v Donegal. Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
23 September 2012; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness celebrates after the game. GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final, Donegal v Mayo, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Paul Mohan / SPORTSFILE
17 July 2011; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness coming into the changing room with the Anglo Celt cup. Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Final, Derry v Donegal, St Tiernach's Park, Clones, Co. Monaghan. Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE
26 August 2012; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness speaks to his players before the game. GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final, Cork v Donegal, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Dire Brennan / SPORTSFILE
17 July 2011; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness coming into the changing room with the Anglo Celt cup. Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Final, Derry v Donegal, St Tiernach's Park, Clones, Co. Monaghan. Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE
21 September 2014; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness consoles Darach OConnor. GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Final, Kerry v Donegal. Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
9 March 2014; Jim McGuinness, Donegal manager, during the team talk before the game. Allianz Football League Division 2 Round 4, Donegal v Meath, MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal. Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE
8 July 2002; Jim McGuinness, right, celebrates with team-mate Adrian Sweeneyafter scoring Donegal's first goal. Armagh v Donegal, Ulster Football Final, St Tighearnachs Park, Clones, Co. Monaghan. Picture credit; David Maher / SPORTSFILE
11 June 2000; Donegal Captain Jim McGuinness leads his team onto the pitch before Donegal v Fermanagh, Football Championship, McCool, Ballybofey, Donegal. Picture credit; Ray Lohan/SPORTSFILE
23 June 2013; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness makes his way out for the start of the match. Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final, Donegal v Down, Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan. Picture credit: Brian Lawless / SPORTSFILE
27 July 2013; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness and Laois manager Justin McNulty exchange words during a first half incident on the line. GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship, Round 4, Donegal v Laois, Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE
15 September 2014; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness during a squad training and press day ahead of the All-Ireland Senior Football Final. MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal. Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE
22 June 2003; Jim McGuinness, Donegal. Bank of Ireland Senior Football Championship qualifier, Donegal v Sligo, McCool Park, Ballybofay, Donegal. Picture credit; Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE *EDI*
15 September 2014; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness plays with his 5 year old son Mark after a squad training and press day ahead of the All-Ireland Senior Football Final. MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal. Picture credit: Oliver McVeigh / SPORTSFILE
31 August 2014; Donegal manager Jim McGuinness, centre, celebrates with Michael Murphy, left, and Anthony Thompson after the match. GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship, Semi-Final, Dublin v Donegal, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
Jim McGuinness, Donegal, reacts to Rory Kavanagh during the second half of the 2014 All Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final against Dublin. Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE
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JIM McGUINNESS has stepped down as Donegal manager, the Donegal county board confirmed late last night.
Speculation has been rife about McGuinness's future since Donegal's All-Ireland defeat to Kerry, but last night his decision was conveyed to the players and the county board.
The 41-year-old Glenties man has led Donegal through their most successful period in their history, winning an All-Ireland in 2012 as well as capturing three Ulster titles after taking over from John Joe Doherty in July 2010.
"While we're disappointed, we respect his decision because he has made such a contribution to Donegal football," Donegal Chairman Sean Dunnion told the Irish Independent.
"He has left a tremendous legacy," said Dunnion.
"He took over the county when we were at one of our lowest ebbs and he took us to the greatest success rate in our history, reaching four Ulster finals in a row and winning the All-Ireland in 2012.
"To take that team from the lows of 2013 to winning Ulster again to within the width of a post of Kerry in the All-Ireland final.
"He has given every child in Donegal the will to play Gaelic football. The impact of Jim McGuinness will be felt for years to come."
McGuinness was appointed as a Performance Consultant with Celtic FC in Glasgow in the weeks after Donegal's All-Ireland win in 2012. In recent months he has had his role increased in Glasgow and now works with Ronny Deila's first-team squad.
As well as his job at Celtic Park, McGuinness has a young family in Glenties.
As Donegal’s Under-21 manager in 2010 he won an Ulster title and reached the All-Ireland final, which they lost to Dublin.
The Donegal County Board is scheduled to meet on Monday night next, after which the county committee sits for its monthly meeting, at which club delegates will be briefed on the plan to appoint McGuinness’s successor.
Mr Dunnion added: “We will take time to let this sink in and it will be discussed. They will be hard shoes to fill, but we have to move on and we’ll be starting from a very positive position.”
A County Board statement also paid tribute to McGuinness last night.
“During this term he has brought unprecedented success to our county and has made every Donegal person across the globe very proud of their county and their players.”
GUIDED
The statement continued: “As senior team manager, he guided the county to four provincial finals, winning three of them, and guided the county team to a record two All-Ireland final appearances in the space of three years, winning a historic second All-Ireland for the county in 2012.
“We wish Jim and Yvonne and their family every success in the future.”
Elsewhere, David Power will be unveiled as Wexford’s new senior football team manager next week.
Power is in line to become the youngest senior intercounty football boss in the country when he succeeds Aidan O’Brien in the Slaneyside post. The 31-year-old guided Tipperary’s minors to All-Ireland glory in 2011, when they famously beat Dublin in the final, and has since graduated to the U21 post in the Premier County.
Power also succeeded in steering Tipperary to Munster minor glory in 2012, the first time since 1934 and 1935 that back-to-back provincial titles had been achieved in the grade.
But Power’s appointment in Wexford, his first foray into senior intercounty management, leaves Tipperary with a significant underage void to fill.
Power, from the Kilsheelan-Kilcash club in Tipperary, was the choice of Wexford county board officials following a series of interviews.
Meanwhile, Wicklow’s Leighton Glynn has opted to concentrate on hurling for the 2015 season.
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