Crossmaglen Rangers are on the search for a new manager to lead them back to the summit in Armagh after Anthony Cunningham stepped down from the role.
The former All-Ireland Club Championship-winning captain with Cross in 2000 led them to the Orchard County series in his first year in charge in 2023 but will depart the hotseat as Clann Eireann and Clan na Gael do battle for the top honour in 2024.
Cunningham replaced Stephen Kernan as manager in November 2022 and took them to the title the following year, defeating Lurgan side Clan na Gael 2-16 to 1-07 to wrap up a record-extending 47th Armagh title, but they lost out to Tyrone kingpins Trillick in that year’s Ulster series before being knocked out by Clann Eireann at the Semi-Final stage in 2024’s Armagh Championship that sets up an all-Lurgan showpiece.
The latter proved to be Cunningham’s final game in charge following a summer where action on the pitch was overshadowed by the sad and untimely passing of Caolan Finnegan at the age of just 20 after a battle with brain cancer.
With Clann Eireann denying Crossmaglen the shot at a hat-trick of Armagh titles in a row – they also defeated Granemore 1-19 to 0-10 in 2022 to win the Gerry Fagan Cup under Kernan – Cross will be keen to bounce back in 2025 and are inviting expressions of interest for the managerial post in advance.