Donegal’s season has been thrown into disarray by the resignation of manager Paddy Carr.
Carr has made the decision in the aftermath of the team’s heavy defeat at home to Mayo last Sunday which all but confirmed their relegation from Division One of the Allianz Football League.
They are due to round out their League campaign against Roscommon this Sunday, with Carr’s right-hand man Aidan O’Rourke likely to take charge in the short-term, though there was no confirmation of anything around that in a Donegal statement in which the county board expressed “regret” at the manager's decision to stand down.
A quote attributed to Carr in the statement reads: “Following a discussion with some senior members of the Donegal football team, I want to announce that I’m stepping away from the position of Donegal team Manager with immediate effect.
“I want nothing more than the best for Donegal and that will never change.”
Carr was appointed last October, months after Donegal’s Championship exit and was considered an uninspired choice to succeed Declan Bonner, with Rory Kavanagh having been seen as the frontrunner before his withdrawal.
Carr retired from his job as a secondary school principal to take on the role but was on the back foot from the off with talisman Michael Murphy’s retirement while there have been injuries to several key players since, including new captain Paddy McBrearty, who kicked the winning point in the opening League game against Kerry.
But Donegal have failed to pick up a victory since and Carr has now bowed to the pressure.
