Cunningham lands top job with Rossies
ANTHONY CUNNINGHAM was last night ratified as the new Roscommon football manager at an emergency meeting of the county board, bringing to an end the nineweek search for Kevin McStay’s successor.
The former Galway hurling boss is well-schooled in Roscommon football, having previously managed St Brigid’s for three years, winning two Connacht titles in that time. He also had a stint with the county’s senior hurling team.
However, Cunningham is best known for his four years in charge of his native county’s hurling side. Having won two All-Ireland medals with the Tribesmen in the late 1980s, Cunningham took over Galway in 2011 and led them to an All-Ireland final in his first season, losing out to Kilkenny after a replay. He also guided them to an All-Ireland final in his final year, again losing to the Cats, before being ousted by a player heave that winter.
Last year, Cunningham had worked as a selector and coach in Pat Gilroy’s Dublin backroom team and had been in the running to succeed Gilroy, but lost out to Mattie Kenny, who was given the reins of the capital hurlers last weekend. There had also been speculation linking Cunningham to the vacant Antrim hurling post.
The Rossies have been without a manager since McStay stepped down after the side’s disappointing performance in the inaugural Super Eights, losing all three of their matches.
A number of names had been linked to the position in the past two months, including former Dublin Ladies manager Mick Bohan, former Louth boss Aidan O’Rourke and David Casey, the former Roscommon player.
The county board had set up a committee in September with the mandate of finding a new manager. The committee consisted of chairman Seamus Sweeney, secretary Brian Carroll, treasurer David O’Connor and former county footballers, Niall Carty and Ciarán Heneghan.
At a meeting convened last night, this group proposed Cunningham’s name and it was accepted by the clubs present.