Glentoran Appoints Magilton as New Manager After Devine Exit
Glentoran have moved quickly in their search for a new manager, identifying Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton as their preferred successor to Declan Devine after a bruising start to the season at the Oval.
Devine’s two-year spell ended on Monday, the club cutting ties after a poor opening run that drained momentum and patience in east Belfast. By Tuesday night, the dugout already looked temporary. Assistant managers Paddy McCourt and Tim McCann took charge, but could not halt the slide as Irish Premiership leaders Coleraine left the Oval with another Glens scalp.
The pressure finally told in the boardroom. Attention snapped to the man in red across the city.
Magilton, 57, has surged to the front of the queue. Glentoran have made a formal approach to speak with the Cliftonville manager, a move that adds extra charge to an already intriguing league fixture: the clubs meet at Solitude on Saturday, with the man in the opposite technical area now firmly on the Glens’ radar.
It is not hard to see why.
A former Northern Ireland international with a deep coaching résumé, Magilton took over at Cliftonville in 2023, succeeding Paddy McLaughlin. Within a year he had delivered something that had eluded generations at Solitude – the Irish Cup. That triumph ended a 45-year wait for the trophy, a landmark moment that instantly underlined his impact.
He then doubled down on that success. Under Magilton, the Reds lifted the 2025 BetMcLean Cup, and did so at Glentoran’s expense in the final, a result that will not have been forgotten at the Oval. The season did not finish with a fairytale repeat, though. Cliftonville fell to Dungannon Swifts in the Irish Cup decider two months later, a reminder of how fine the margins remain at the top of the local game.
Magilton’s track record stretches far beyond Solitude. His career has taken in spells with Ipswich Town, the Irish FA, Dundalk and Melbourne Victory, experience that gives him a broader tactical and cultural outlook than most in the Irish Premiership.
Now Glentoran, restless and wounded, want that experience on their side.
Saturday’s meeting at Solitude was already a key fixture. With Magilton at the centre of Glentoran’s plans, it now carries the feel of an audition played out under full glare.
