Declan Bonner

Declan Bonner
Personal information
Born (1965-08-11) 11 August 1965
OccupationWine merchant
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Sport
SportGaelic football
PositionRight corner forward
Clubs
Years Club
1979–
1988
Na Rossa
Donegal Boston
Inter-county
Years County Apps (scores)
1983–1995
Donegal 110 (12–193)
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 2
All-Irelands 1
All Stars 0
Club management
Years Club
1988–19??
?–?
c. 2006
?
c. 2023
2023–2025
Na Rossa
An Clochán Liath
Gaoth Dobhair
Na Rossa
Na Rossa
Erne Gaels
1
Inter-county management
Years Team
1997–2000
2017–2022
2025–
Donegal
Donegal
Fermanagh
Inter-county titles as manager
County League Province All-Ireland
Donegal 2 2

Declan Bonner (born 11 August 1965) is an Irish Gaelic footballer and manager. He played at senior level for the Donegal county team, winning an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title in 1992. He 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.

Bonner's first spell as manager of the county team, from 1997 until 2000, saw him denied an Ulster Senior Football Championship title by a last-minute Joe Brolly goal in the 1998 final. After leading the county minor team to the 2014 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final, Bonner was given a second chance at the senior job when a vacancy arose in 2017. Donegal had been left in a state of decline by his predecessor following the successful Jim McGuinness era. 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 (after McGuinness) to retain the title.

Bonner maintains prominent media roles in his native county, such as with Highland Radio. He contributes a weekly column called "[Making] No Bones About It[!]", which features on the inside back cover of the Donegal News.