Former Newry City boss Darren Mullen to get the boots back on and offer coaching sessions in aid of the Evora Hospice

Mullen, who was part of Benny Coulter’s management team with the Down U17s for two seasons, in addition to managing City for over 10 years, says that he’s looking forward to getting the boots back on for a good cause.

“It's a charity coaching scheme,” he explained to the Newry Reporter.

“I had done it whenever I finished coaching Newry the first time (2023), and I raised around £2,500 for the hospice. At the minute I'm not doing any coaching, being chairman of Newry, so I was just getting itchy feet again and trying to find a reason to put the boots on. I'm providing soccer and Gaelic coaching sessions, so it's a case of ‘choose your ball’.

“O'Neill's have kindly made a kit for it and are helping to promote it. It's launching this week, and I've already had enquiries from clubs looking for me to carry out both soccer and Gaelic coaching sessions. Then the plan is that the clubs make a donation to the hospice, which is a terrific charity who do a lot for people, not only in Newry, but across a wide area.

“It gets me back coaching again, and it raises money for a very worthy charity."

The Evora Hospice is closely connected to Mullen, as his wife Diane works for the charity. Furthermore, Newry City AFC have worn a special pink kit in cup competitions in recent seasons, to bring awareness to the Evora Hospice.

“Newry launched the pink kit to promote the Evora Hospice several years ago and it's a kit that always goes down really well, because people know the importance of what we're trying to promote,” he said.

“My wife works in the hospice, so I know that it's a difficult job for everyone that works in it. If we can help them in some manner, by promoting what they do, so that others can donate, then it will be beneficial.

“Even in this scheme, if there are businesses out there that want to make a donation on behalf of, should it be a soccer club or GAA club that they're involved in, and then I carry out the coaching session, that's something that they can do.

“I'm looking forward to it; as I said it's been a while now since I've had my boots on. I did a session for Poyntzpass U16s, my nephew's team, six or seven weeks ago, and I really enjoyed it. It showed me how much I missed it, so I'm looking forward to getting started.”

For any clubs wishing to get in touch with Darren Mullen for a coaching session as part of the scheme, you can contact him at: [email protected].