Two new Ulster club football managers face into a strong burden of expectancy in 2025.
Shane Lennon has just taken up the reins of the Crossmaglen Rangers club while Rory Kavanagh has stepped into Malachy O’Rourke’s shoes as the boss of Glen.
Both the Rangers and Glen failed to retain their Armagh and Derry Championship titles respectively this year which means that there will be particularly strong demands on the new managers to go the full distance in the New Year.
Lennon comes to Crossmaglen having made an impact as a player in Louth’s colours and harbouring a fierce determination to sustain the south Armagh club’s distinguished run of success.
He is the first person from outside the club to hold the managerial role — he himself is a member of Kilkerley Emmets to whom he has rendered notable service as a player — but he will be under pressure to deliver the goods in a Crossmaglen club which has sampled a generous ration of success over the course of the past two decades.
Lennon replaces Anthony Cunningham who stepped away as manager following the team’s recent surprising Armagh Senior Championship Semi-Final defeat to Lurgan side Clan na Gael.
Like Cunningham, Kavanagh will be expected to deliver the goods at Glen where under Malachy O’Rourke’s stewardship the Derry title was captured in 2021, 2022 and 2023, Ulster titles came their way in 2022 and 2023 and the All-Ireland crown was captured in 2023/2042.
Kavanagh’s name was linked with more than one managerial vacancy this year but he is now relishing the challenge of bringing further success to a Glen side that had broken new ground since O’Rourke took over.