Rory Gallagher

This equalled the record for the highest individual scorer in any championship football match set by Dublin's Johnny Joyce in 1960; Gallagher and Joyce held the joint record for eighteen years until Cillian O'Connor's four goals (accompanied by nine points) in the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final at Croke Park broke it.

Rory Gallagher (born 22 August 1978) is a Gaelic football manager and former player.

He broke his leg in October 1993.

He is a cousin of fellow Fermanagh footballer Raymond Gallagher.

Gallagher was top scorer in the Ulster Senior Football Championship for three consecutive years: in 2000 (1-19), 2001 (0-16) and 2002 (4-12).

In 2002, he scored 3–09 in an Ulster Senior Football Championship game against Monaghan.

He left the Fermanagh panel in 2002.

He won the Dublin Senior Football Championship and the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship with St Brigid's in 2003.

Gallagher played for both Fermanagh and Cavan.

Donegal's next meeting came against Monaghan resulting in a defeat of 1-04 0-09.

Another win followed against Tyrone in a 1-13 0–06 scoreline.

Gallagher won the Antrim Senior Football Championship and the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship with St Gall's in 2009 and added the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship in 2010.

but briefly returned to the Fermanagh setup in 2010.

Gallagher was unimpressed with the appointment of John O'Neill as county manager.

In 2011, Gallagher joined the Donegal senior football team as a selector.

As soon as he joined he knew all the players' names.

Jim McGuinness had originally recruited Peter McGinley but he had work commitments and spoke of Gallagher as an impressive coach.

Martin McHugh also thinks highly of him.

McGuinness decided to call upon Gallagher.

Gallagher played for the Fermanagh and Cavan county teams, as well as several club teams, including his home club Erne Gaels, as well as Dublin side St Brigid's and Antrim's St Gall's. He was a selector for the Donegal county team during their 2012 Championship success, acting as number two to Jim McGuinness.

Since his arrival McGuinness's team have twice won Ulster and in 2012 they got their hands on Sam the man himself.

This led the people of Donegal to look upon Gallagher with awe and reverence and as a kind of demi-god to Jim's Messiah, though this was not in evidence when McGuinness departed and Gallagher took over.

His third game ended with a marginal win against Cork with a scoreline of 0-12 1-08.

In the final round Donegal drew with Mayo 0-12 1-09 but made it through to the semi-final on points difference but lost to Cork in a scoreline of 4-11 0–19.

Gallagher's Championship debut soon followed, with Donegal meeting Tyrone in the preliminary round with the winner facing Armagh.

Donegal overcame Tyrone in Ballybofey with a win of 1-13 1–10.

Donegal later faced Kieran McGeeney's Armagh in what was expected to be a tough match following the previous year's meeting in the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final where Donegal snatched a victory 2 minutes from time winning by a point in a tense game that was going either way.

He left the Donegal panel after the 2013 championship but later returned as Jim McGuinness's successor in October 2014, when McGuinness departed following the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.

He resigned as a selector in 2013.

He was then linked with the vacant Fermanagh and Antrim jobs but settled instead for Donegal Under-21s assistant manager under Maxi Curran.

After his departure from the Donegal senior team, fellow McGuinness underling Curran, who also sacrificed himself, said: "I think that Rory made an enormous contribution to Donegal's success as a tactician, coach, motivator and diplomat. He did not spare himself in bringing Donegal right up to the top [...] I cannot speak highly enough of him and I consider it an honour and a privilege to have worked alongside him. He will undoubtedly be a massive asset to any club or county side fortunate enough to engage his services."

After Gallagher left the Donegal panel in 2013, he became joint manager of Cill Chartha with John McNulty.

After the departure of Jim McGuinness.

Gallagher and former Mayo manager James Horan were rumoured as the most likely replacements until Horan announced he was not interested in the job.

This left Gallagher as the most likely candidate.

With John McNulty, he was joint manager of the Cill Chartha club in 2014 during his time away from the county panel.

He had trials with English professional association football clubs Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers.

Gallagher was appointed the new manager of the Donegal senior football team in October 2014.

Gallagher made his competitive managerial debut for Donegal in the National Football League Division 1 win against Derry with a score of 1-15 0–12.

His second game ended in a defeat against Dublin losing 2-10 0–11.