All-Ireland-winning Mayo GAA club manager steps down
After six years in charge, the Mayo GAA football club manager has stepped down with many achievements to show for including a historic second All-Ireland crown for his home team.
Brian Benson has decided to call it a day on his time as manager of his home club Crossmolina Deel Rovers.
When Benson and his management team took over for the 2021 season, the men from the Deel were stuck in intermediate football. Five years later, he has decided to step down.
He has overseen huge success recently, by winning the intermediate championship in a thrilling replay against Moy Davitts in 2024.
The team then went on to win the Connacht title and a historic intermediate All-Ireland in Januray 2025, which made Crossmolina the first club in Ireland ever to win an intermediate and senior football crown (won in 2001).
Benson also oversaw Kobe McDonald’s first steps in senior football and fielded the hugely talented teenager in spring 2025 for a league game in Ballintubber.
His long and successful stint as manager of the Deel Rovers was also facilitated by many gifted young players that have come through in recent years, who in turn could always rely on the inter-county players Conor Loftus and Jordan Flynn, as well as more experienced ones like captain Mikie Loftus, Patrick Leddy and Fionán Duffy.
Benson has been known to have his teams play an attacking style of football, at pace, entertaining to watch, with lots of firepower up front.
Crossmolina fell at the quarter-final hurdle of the senior championship only by a two-point margin at the hands of Garrymore last weekend, coming short of last year’s achievement which saw the North Mayo men reach the semi-final. They were only narrowly knocked out after extra-time by Westport that day in Charlestown.