Declan Bonner was born on 11 August 1965 and is an Irish Gaelic footballer and manager.
41 Facts About Declan Bonner
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Declan Bonner played at senior level for the Donegal county team, winning an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title in 1992.
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Declan Bonner later managed the Donegal county team for two spells between 1997 and 2000 and 2017 and 2022, winning two Ulster Senior Football Championship titles during the latter, while playing as goalkeeper for Na Rossa.
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Declan Bonner improved the team and led them to two Ulster Senior Football Championship titles, in 2018 and 2019, becoming only the second manager in team history to retain the title.
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Declan Bonner maintains prominent media roles in his native county, such as with Highland Radio.
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Declan Bonner is from the Gaeltacht village of Lettermacaward in West Donegal.
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Declan Bonner's father Dan Bonner was born on 20 September, the same date on which his son would win the 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final.
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Declan Bonner was part of the school association football team which won the 1982 All-Ireland Under-16 title.
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Declan Bonner made his senior debut for his club at the age of 14 in 1979.
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Declan Bonner played his fortieth season in 2019, participating in the Donegal Junior Football Championship as an emergency goalkeeper.
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Declan Bonner won the under-12, under-14 and under-16 titles with Rosses Rovers.
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Declan Bonner made his National Football League debut for Donegal at the age of 18 in late-1983.
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Declan Bonner made his senior championship debut against Armagh in 1987.
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However, Declan Bonner went from playing every championship match to falling out with manager Tom Conaghan.
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Declan Bonner began playing for League of Ireland soccer club Finn Harps in 1989, playing there at left-back until 1991.
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Declan Bonner once played for Finn Harps against Cobh Ramblers on a Sunday at noon, then for Donegal against Longford in the National Football League on the same day in 1991.
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Declan Bonner fell to the floor and was there when the referee blew the final whistle.
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But, within five years of raising aloft the Sam Maguire Cup, Declan Bonner was forced to retire from the game due to injury.
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Declan Bonner played his last game for Donegal against Cavan in the 1997 Ulster SFC semi-final.
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Declan Bonner played in four Ulster SFC finals, recording two wins and two losses, an achievement he equalled as manager in 2020.
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Declan Bonner became player-manager with Na Rossa at the age of 23, his first managerial appointment.
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Declan Bonner managed the Donegal county football team at senior level between 1997 and 2000.
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Declan Bonner was called the day after Cavan won the 1997 Ulster Senior Football Championship final to ask about submitting his name for the role.
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Declan Bonner began on his 32nd birthday, within four weeks of retirement.
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Declan Bonner was informed of the decision to appoint him at 9.29 pm on 11 August 1997, after Anthony Molloy, past manager Conaghan and Pauric McShea all withdrew.
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Declan Bonner managed Gaoth Dobhair to the 2006 Donegal Senior Football Championship title.
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Declan Bonner coached Carl McHugh, the professional footballer, at Na Rossa.
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Declan Bonner managed his club Na Rossa to the 2008 Donegal Intermediate Football Championship final, but lost to Sean Mac Cumhaills by three points.
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Declan Bonner sought a joint managerial position with the senior footballers alongside Charlie Mulgrew in 2008, but both ultimately lost out to John Joe Doherty.
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In 2011, Declan Bonner went to assist Paddy Hegarty with a South Donegal development squad.
31.
In mid-2013, Declan Bonner was appointed manager of the Donegal minor team.
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Declan Bonner managed the county team to the 2014 Ulster Minor Football Championship; then to a first ever All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final, against Kerry.
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Declan Bonner was not afforded a meeting with his predecessor as county minor manager, a decision he criticised in 2017 when he wrote in the Donegal News that such a meeting should be mandatory.
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When Jim McGuinness departed as county manager after the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, Declan Bonner was linked with the managerial vacancy.
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In 2015, Declan Bonner was appointed manager of the Donegal under-21 team.
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Declan Bonner managed the county team to an Ulster Under-21 Football Championship in 2017, defeating Derry in the final.
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On 22 September 2017, Declan Bonner was reappointed manager of the senior team on a three-year term, succeeding Rory Gallagher.
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Shortly before the appointment, Declan Bonner wrote in the Donegal News: "We were a top tier team, but we have dropped down over the last year or two, and I can't see that changing unless we start to have a serious look at our structures from Under 15 right up to seniors, and the way we conduct our business".
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However, it brought about a marked improvement in the team's fortunes and Declan Bonner led his county to the 2018 and 2019 Ulster Senior Football Championship titles.
40.
Declan Bonner was reappointed for another two-year term as Donegal manager at the end of August 2021 when no other candidates emerged to succeed him.
41.
Declan Bonner managed Na Rossa to the 2023 Donegal Junior Football Championship title, with his two sons Cillian and Christian among the players involved.