Francie Coleman (Donaghmoyne)

Garry Smyth (Derrygonnelly)

Paddy McNally and Barry Hanratty (Castleblayney)

Francie Coleman (Donaghmoyne)

It’s incredible to think that Francie Coleman has been involved with Donaghmoyne ladies since 1991. In that time, the Monaghan club have been uncontested at county level year after year, have won numerous All-Irelands, and have dominated the provincial scene. They added their latest Ulster title last season with a deserved victory over Moneyglass and went all the way to the All-Ireland final, where they came out second best to Dublin powerhouses Kilkerrin-Clonberne. But it’s fair to say that Coleman, who entered our prestigious Hall of Famed in 2017, is an obvious candidate for this year’s Ladies Manager of the Year award.

Garry Smyth (Derrygonnelly)

The Derrygonnelly ladies had a year to remember. They won a first ever Division One league title, their maiden Fermanagh Intermediate Championship and the Ulster Intermediate title. Overseeing their magicial season was club native Garry Smyth, who kept the team motivated and hungry during a gruelling run of fixtures where they played 14 games in 16 weeks, ultimately bowing out in the last four of the race for the All-Ireland Intermediate title. His daughters Bronagh and Eimear played a major part in their success, but the modest Smyth repeatedly praised the collective effort of his squad in his post-match interviews.

Paddy McNally & Barry Hanratty (Castleblayney)

Talented young coaches Paddy McNally and Barry Hanratty can reflect on a job well done after spearheading Castleblayney Ladies’ run to Ulster Junior Championship honours. Paddy and Barry, who still play club football with their respective Cremartin and Castleblayney, embarked on a wonderful journey with their players at a Castleblayney side that is still relatively new to the ladies scene. While they have a relatively inexperienced team, they showed maturity beyond their years and were full value for a fantastic Ulster success.