COMMITTEES PUT IN PLACE
Chairman reveals 29 names in all on Senior shortlists
IN THE aftermath of the championship exits, Wexford have set out in their search for new managers for both Senior hurling and football.
The clubs in the county had been given an opportunity to nominate potential managers for consideration, but their response for Senior football brought a blank, while only Liam Dunne was nominated for Senior hurling, having already completed his five years in charge.
County Chairman, Diarmuid Devereux, informed a meeting of the County G.A.A. Board on Thursday night that the county is seeking a total of seven managers, four in football and three in hurling, with Minor hurling boss Eamonn Scallan having the second year of a three-year term ratified.
The Chairman told the meeting the County Management Committee had already met, deciding to seek the two Senior managers initially, and also opting to separate the Under-21 football from Senior.]
They also felt it appropriate to leave the Intermediate hurling and Under-21 hurling until after the appointment of a Senior manager, with the same criteria applying to Junior football.
He added that the process of selecting a committee is governed by a protocol from Ard Comhairle which dictates that the Chairman be responsible for the selection of such committees to nominate a manager and come back before the County Board for ratification. He also said that the feedback from the clubs saw one nomination for hurling with not a single nomination for football.
However, he stressed that they had an extensive list of people interested, but who do not want their names in the public domain at the moment. He said some of them may still be involved with clubs and it would not be fair to have them named publicly with the club championships in progress.
Devereux expaned by saying they had ten candidates for Senior football with 19 names for Senior hurling.
He said they had gone to extreme measures to make it known that there are vacancies.
He stressed again that many did not want their names in the public domain, with the result that the integrity of the G.A.A. in Wexford into the future would be very much affected if they were to breach that confidence.
The next part of the process, he said, is to have a committee to filter through the names.
He had also met with player representatives to enlighten them as to what is taking place and he had their support.
‘We are looking for two managers. We are looking for someone who can manage people, manage strategy and be capable of coming before the County Board. We now intend to move forward, filter through the names and bring them to interview stages.
‘We will come back to the management with a preferred name, and possibly a back-up name, then we will bring it to County Board for ratification,’ he added.
The following committees were announced to the County Board –
Hurling: Co. Chairman and Secretary, both non-voting; Der- mot Howlin, Senior hurling co-ordinator; John Conran, Ibar Murphy, Philip Howlin, Georgie Foley.
Football: Chairman and Secretary, both non-voting; Seamus Fitzhenry, Seamus Hughes, James Mullally, Billy Dodd, Paud Moriarty.
The Chairman said it is his intention to report back at the end of September.