McIntyre fills Newmarket dual role
LIKE all clubs, Newmarket are patiently awaiting the go ahead to resume collective training. And there is a new man at the helm with Newcestown native Niall McIntyre assuming coaching to both the County Premier Intermediate Football and Junior A Hurling sides.
McIntyre enjoyed successful spells at Erin’s Own and Cork IT Sigerson teams in addition to an involvement with a number of other Cork and Waterford clubs. When one mentions Newcestown and Newmarket, it casts minds back to 2001 and a dramatic County IFC semi final replay.
Newmarket led by eight points at the end of regulation time only to concede three goals in quick succession and Newcestown were credited with grand larceny. And for good measure, Newcestown bettered
Nemo Rangers in the county final.
Obviously, all is forgiven, Newmarket looking in 2021 to McIntyre for inspiration when the game schedule comes on stream.
“We have adopted a dual management in recent years, 2019 saw Barry O’Leary on board and the club made a welcome breakthrough to regain the Duhallow JAHC. Last season, Deirdre O’Reilly took on the task and came close with the football side,” said club PRO Luke McCarthy.
“Given the current pandemic and restrictions, its so much easier for dual players to be accommodated with one main voice. We may have eleven or twelve players on both teams and it’s a system that’s worked well in Newmarket,” he said.
Previously Newmarket, emerged premier intermediate football champions in 2011 and played senior for two years. From 2020, Newmarket swept through unbeaten in the group stages on overcoming Na Piarsaigh, Aghada and Castletownbere.
That run of success earned Newmarket a direct passage to a semi final and a meeting against fellow Duhallow neighbours Knocknagree.
“We hadn’t played in three weeks, while Knocknagree availed of a quarter final, nothing between the sides only for Newmarket to encounter a narrow 0-15 to 0-14 defeat. In fairness, we gave it all, trailing by five points at the second water break, during the remaining15 minutes Newmarket did all the scoring and were unlucky to not raise a green flag,” said the PRO.
With a tight window in terms of games scheduling becoming the norm, Newmarket are a formidable hurling force. After reaching the 2018 divisional final, Newmarket relented to history makers Dromtarriffe only to bounce back in the following campaign and better Kilbrin to bridge a 40 year gap in the wilderness.
Hard though as the defending champions attempted to save their title last season, Newmarket failed to match the level of consistency that arch rivals Dromtariffe brought to the proceedings.
With McIntyre guiding fortunes, no doubt he will bring intensity to training sessions and replicated on the field of play. Completing the football team management are selectors Paul Murphy and Donal O’Sullivan with Seán Irwin, D J O’Sullivan and Neally McCarthy filling the equivalent roles in hurling.
Meanwhile, former Limerick hurling All-Star Mark Foley has been appointed the new manager of Charleville senior hurlers in place of Claude Gough, who has stepped away from the post following his very successful stint as coach. He steered the Charleville side to victory in the Cork County Senior A Championship last year, their win propelling them into the top tier of Cork
County hurling.
The award laden former Limerick player will have locals Mervyn Gammell and Brendan Dennehy in his backroom team, along with another former Limerick player and local Charleville publican, Clem Smith. The TG4 Gaelic games pundit has seen managerial experience with the Patrickswell Club and with the Kerry senior team, and as a player starred with his own Adare Club with whom he has won five Limerick senior championship medals.