Conor Laverty

Conor Laverty
Personal information
Born
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Sport
SportGaelic football
PositionLeft Corner Forward
Club
Years Club
2004–2021
Kilcoo
Club titles
Down titles 10
Ulster titles 2
All-Ireland Titles 1
Inter-county
Years County
2005–2018
Down

Conor Laverty is a Gaelic football manager and player. He plays for Kilcoo and, formerly, the Down county football team. He has been manager of the Down county football team since 2022 and, under his leadership, Down won the Tailteann Cup in 2024. [1]

Career

Laverty played at senior level for the Down county team. He played as a forward.[2] Announcing Laverty's reign as Down manager, the county board stated that he had played for Down at all levels, was involved in the 2010 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final and the 2012 Ulster Senior Football Championship final, received an All Star nomination in 2012, captained his county in 2015, had by that stage won ten county championships with his club Kilcoo and was joint captain when Kilcoo won Ulster titles in 2019 and 2020 and the All-Ireland title in 2022.[3] He was also captain when Kilcoo won the 2021–22 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship.[4]

Laverty showed early promise as a coach, at the age of 16 he was training the Kilcoo U16s [5]: he was involved with the St Michael's, Enniskillen team that won both the 2019 MacRory Cup and Hogan Cup.[6] After being a selector or a coach[7] under Monaghan boss Séamus McEnaney in 2020, Laverty was involved in Down's Ulster Under-20 Football Championship win in 2021.[8]

Laverty, after winning about 10 Down Senior Football Championship titles with Kilcoo, was set to be appointed as Down boss in 2021 but was not appointed on that occasion.[9][10]

2024

Laverty has always demonstrated ambition for the county team. Speaking after the 2024 Tailteann Cup final he said ""We want to be playing Sam Maguire football, we want to be bringing some of the best teams in Ireland to Newry....That's what we started out and what we said. We want to compete with the best teams in Ireland." [11]

2025

In 2025 Laverty's Down team progressed to All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final and lost by 3-21 to Galway's 2-26. [12]

Personal life

Laverty is GAA development officer for Trinity College.[13]. He combines this professional role with his managerial responsibilities with Down and is also the father of six boys. [14]

References

  1. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cmm28jpr0q9o
  2. ^ O'Brien, Kevin (8 August 2022). "Down appoint Conor Laverty as manager". The42.ie.
  3. ^ "Conor Laverty appointed as new Down Senior Manager". Down GAA. 8 August 2022.
  4. ^ Barry, Brian (9 August 2022). "Conor Laverty announced as new Down senior football manager". Sky Sports.
  5. ^ https://www.farmersjournal.ie/entertainment/living-life-/conor-laverty-football-farming-and-five-wee-boys-687733
  6. ^ "Laverty given opportunity to resurrect Mournemen". Belfast Telegraph. 9 August 2022.
  7. ^ Keys, Colm (8 August 2022). "Conor Laverty appointed as Down manager with Martin Clarke and Declan Morgan in backroom team". Irish Independent.
  8. ^ "Laverty succeeds McCartan as new Down senior football boss". Hogan Stand. 9 August 2022.
  9. ^ McCoy, Niall (13 November 2021). "Conor Laverty will not be next Down manager". RTÉ.
  10. ^ Malone, Steve (7 November 2021). "Kilcoo still reign supreme in Down after pipping Burren". RTÉ.
  11. ^ https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0713/1459740-laverty-eyes-more-down-growth-after-tailteann-cup-joy/
  12. ^ https://www.irishnews.com/gaa/gaelic-football/i-came-here-today-with-a-massive-belief-that-these-players-could-perform-at-this-level-conor-laverty-proud-as-down-exit-to-galway-KRWILLEP6BHQBEDRC2G6AAWOCQ/
  13. ^ Arnold, Barry (9 August 2022). "Kilcoo All-Ireland winner Conor Laverty named as Down manager".
  14. ^ https://www.facebook.com/ConnaughtTelegraph/posts/sports-photo-of-the-day-down-manager-conor-laverty-celebrates-with-his-sons-left/1279504767516022/