John McEntee has been confirmed as the new manager of the Monaghan senior footballers. Monaghan GAA ratified the appointment at a county board meeting on Monday night, 12 October, ending weeks of speculation after Gabriel Bannigan stepped down in August.
RTÉ Sport, the BBC and the Irish Times all reported the confirmation on Monday evening. McEntee, a Crossmaglen Rangers clubman who won the All-Ireland with Armagh in 2002, takes his first inter-county role. He told Northern Sound's Sportsbeat he was "really excited and looking forward to it" and "privileged and honoured" to be asked, saying the Monaghan job was the option that "excited me the most".
Club pedigree in the Farney County
Although new to inter-county management, McEntee is well known on the Monaghan club scene. He managed Clontibret to a county title in 2019, beating Scotstown in the final. He then spent four seasons with Inniskeen Grattans, guiding them to senior finals in 2023 and 2025, both lost to Scotstown, and to semi-finals in the other two years. The BBC noted he also co-managed Crossmaglen Rangers to an Ulster club title in 2015 alongside Oisín McConville.
He replaces Bannigan, who left after two seasons in which Monaghan won Division Two in 2025 and reached successive All-Ireland quarter-finals. Bannigan's resignation statement cited "moving goalposts" around his plans for 2027. Under him this year Monaghan were relegated from Division One, reached the Ulster final (losing to Armagh in extra time) and exited the Sam Maguire series to Louth in the quarter-final.
Backroom still to come; twin brother not involved
McEntee will confirm his backroom team in the coming weeks. Monaghan GAA said details would wait "in the interests of respecting current football commitments" so club activity is not distracted. Despite weekend speculation, twin brother Tony will not be involved: RTÉ Sport reported he remains with Conor Laverty's Down. Northern Sound had earlier said the ticket was believed to include a former Monaghan county player and Tony Kernan, who has worked with McEntee at club level.
RTÉ Sport noted that Andy McEntee and Séamus McEnaney were among those linked with the job earlier in the process. McEntee becomes the eighth member of Armagh's 2002 All-Ireland-winning team to manage at senior inter-county level.
Austin takes the hurlers
At the same meeting, Monaghan GAA also ratified Tony Austin as senior hurling manager for 2027. Austin, from Rossa GAC in Antrim, coached Castleblayney Hurling Club to four Monaghan senior titles and the 2023 Ulster Junior Hurling Championship, and has coached Down's senior hurlers in the Christy Ring and Joe McDonagh Cups.
Monaghan GAA said McEntee "brings a wealth of experience, leadership and commitment to the role" as preparations begin for 2027.
