Bonagee United have announced a new manager to succeed Peter Moran at the helm of their Ulster Senior League team – and he has made two big captures
The Dry Arch Park club have installed Tony O’Carroll for the 2017/18 season.
O’Carroll has confirmed that Michael Funston and Thomas McMonagle will be a part of his squad for the campaign.
O’Carroll, a native of Derry, has been at Bonagee for eight years and most recently was the club’s youth team manager in the Donegal Youth League. O’Carroll also coaches the Bonagee Under-16 team.
Previously, he managed the Bonagee United reserve team in the now-defunct Ulster Senior League Division One.
O’Carroll did spent a couple of years away from Bonagee and, during that time, won a League with Ardmore.
Funston recently quit Finn Harps after 335 appearances for the Ballybofey club since making his first team debut in 2004.
Funston also had a spell at Dungannon Swifts having played all his underage football at Bonagee, whom he represented in the Ulster Senior League under Dee Dunne’s watch before he clinched a move to Harps.
Funston will be signed as a player with his home club and his return comes as a huge boost to Bonagee, who finished fifth in the USL last season.
McMonagle has also agreed to make the move to Dry Arch Park for the new season having parted ways with Harps.
In a statement the club said: “The club are delighted to announce Tony O’Carroll as the clubs Ulster Senior League manager for the incoming season.
Tony is no stranger to the club as he has been involved with Bonagee Utd since 2009, where he sucessfully managed the clubs reserve side to honours in the USL First division and DPD League Cup. Last season, Tony managed our Youth team, while also coaching our Under 16 side in the Letterkenny & District schoolboys league.
“We are delighted to confirm Tony as our new manager,” Bonagee United Chairman Donal Coyle said.
“Tony has been involved in the club for a number of years now and he knows the club well. We would like to wish Tony all the best in his new role and we hope that Tony can take us to the next level.
“Tony has been an important part of Bonagee United and we would like to wish him a long and successful term as the senior team manager.
“As a club we have made significant strides in our development of Dry Arch Park and last season we switched on our floodlights so we would now like to build a successful team to match our facilities.”
Tony has wasted no time in his new role, and the club are delighted that he has secured the services of local man Michael Funston as one of his first recruits.
Michael played for the club at schoolboys, youth and Ulster senior league level before moving on to play for Finn Harps, where he has played 335 games in the league of Ireland.
Michael grew up at the club before moving to Finn Harps in 2004 and the club is delighted to welcome Michael back to Dry Arch Park.
Tony has also secured the services of former Finn Harps player Thomas McMonagle, who also left Harps during the current season. Thomas is an experienced senior player who will also be welcomed at Bonagee for the new season.
Mr Coyle added: “Bonagee have always been very proud of Michael’s achievements in senior football and we are thrilled to welcome him back to the club again. We have no doubt that players of the calibre of Michael and Thomas McMonagle – who we are also delighted to see at the club – will be great additions in the season ahead.”
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