New look for Derry U20s as O'Neill targets back-to-back crowns

Derry’s All-Ireland-winning Under-20 manager Ryan O’Neill has made significant changes to his backroom team ahead of the 2027 campaign, with a new coaching setup arriving after a hugely successful year for hurling in the Oak Leaf County.

Derry brought the curtain down on the 2026 intercounty season with a Christy Ring Cup, an All-Ireland Under-20 B title and a Minor Celtic Challenge crown. O’Neill, who is also involved with Kevin Lynch’s at club level, will be keen to build on that progress in the year ahead, with two Antrim coaches joining his management team.

The success extended beyond the county setup, with St Patrick’s College Maghera securing both Ulster and All-Ireland honours. Their captain, Rian Collins, subsequently graduated to Johnny McGarvey’s Derry senior panel, where he played a starring role in the Foylesiders' maiden Christy Ring Cup triumph.

Ballinascreen’s Kevin Kelly, alongside members of the celebrated Derry side of the early 2000s, Banagher’s Kieran Stevenson and Tipperary native John O’Dwyer, have departed the Under-20 setup after helping lay the foundations for last season’s success, which included a second Richie McElligott Cup triumph in May.

In their place come Antrim duo Mickey Glover and Simon Doherty, while Shane O’Connor joins as strength and conditioning coach. Glover and Doherty both served under Paudie Shivers with the Antrim Under-20s in 2024, the same year O’Neill guided Derry to a historic Ulster title, only their seventh ever provincial crown.

O’Neill will be hoping for another successful campaign in 2027, with a strong platform already in place. The bulk of last year’s panel remain eligible, while several members gained valuable senior club minutes during the Leadon Timber Frames Derry Senior Hurling Championship earlier this year, adding to the experience they have already gained on the inter-county stage.

Glover, a Belfast native, also has strong connections with Derry hurling, having played club hurling with Slaughtneil. His sons, PJ and Felix, were both part of last year’s Richie McElligott Cup-winning team and remain eligible for the coming campaign. A highly regarded coach, Glover has been involved with Slaughtneil’s senior hurling setup for several years and would have crossed paths with O’Neill on the sidelines during the Derry Championship.

Both Glover and Doherty were also held in high regard by former Antrim senior manager Darren Gleeson during his time in charge of the county side. Doherty hails from St John’s in West Belfast and enjoyed an excellent playing career as a goalkeeper, while also representing Armagh at inter-county level. He has since established a reputation as a highly respected coach, having managed at various levels within Antrim including a several year spell working with Ulster University.

The pair will bring considerable experience and knowledge to the Derry setup, with O’Neill encouraged by their enthusiasm for the project and the commitment being shown to the development of hurling throughout the county.

Speaking about the year ahead, O’Neill was full of optimism about a young group that already boasts considerable experience, with a strong influx of talent from both the schools and club ranks.

“We have a well-balanced panel this year, with a lot of lads still there from last year’s All-Ireland-winning team, backed up with the addition of six new players coming in from the Paddy Buggy-winning team with Maghera,” said O’Neill.

“Then, with the Minor County champions Kevin Lynch’s, we have added eight or nine from that team who are in the middle of preparing for the Ulster campaign, so it’s all really positive at the moment.”