GAA MANAGERS IN
Some interesting appointments all over Wicklow
WICKLOW GAA’S managerial merry-go-round is almost at rest for 2018 with most clubs now having a manager and management team in place for the season ahead.
Headline grabbing appointments would obviously concern the changes at the helm for several Senior football clubs. They are far from breaking news, but Ciarán Walshe’s taking over from Paul Garrigan is certainly a noteworthy move for the 2016 county champions.
Likewise, the changes at AGB (Paul Gahan in for Damien Redmond), Annacurra (John Hynes in for Alan Nolan who departed with a 100 per cent win record of four from four), Bray Emmets (Tony Denver), Newtown (John Lynch in for John Murphy), Blessington (Paddy O’Connor in for Barry O’Donovan), and Éire Óg Greystones (Philip Smullen and Paul Hayden in for Alan Costello) all catch the eye and should help make the 2018 Senior football championship an interesting battlefield.
Of the 12 teams involved, nine have appointed mangers or management teams from within their own ranks. AGB’s Paul Gahan may be a Buffers Alley man originally but he is with AGB now for several years and his children are playing with the club, so we can say that he is an in-house appointment without much fear of contradiction. Only Avondale (Emmet O’Sullivan), Hollywood (Mick Murray), and Kiltegan (Trevor Doyle) have stayed with their ‘outside’ managers.
Kiltegan are the only senior hurling club to appoint an insider as manager of their team for 2018. Wexford men feature prominently in the makeup of the Senior hurling class of 2018 with Model men Garry Laffan, Eamonn Scallan, and Paul Carley taking charge of Glenealy, Éire Óg and Bray Emmets respectively.
The new face in the Senior ranks for 2018 is Mount Leinster Rangers and Carlow ‘Legend’ James Hickey who will rule the roost over in Carnew Emmets while Michael Neary will attempt to bring St Pat’s to the county final this season, a feat he came desperately close to achieving last year.
Carlow’s James Hickey will also prowl the sidelines of the Intermediate football championship as Carnew in 2018. He will meet another legend during the Group 1 games when he faces a Donard-the Glen side who is now managed by former Kildare star Tadgh Fennin.
Dunlavin will look to go one step further with Jonathan Daniels on board while the appointments of Damien McMahon to the helm of Coolkenno and Alan Costello at Tinahely suggest that both of those clubs are massively intent on a quick return to Senior status.
Paddy Molloy remains with Ballymanus for 2018, while Decky Byrne will look to steady Laragh’s presence at Intermediate level after their magical season last year.
Ballinacor have looked to their own Paidi Byrne and Kilmacanogue (Mark King), Stratford-Grangecon (Pat Cronin) and Ashford (Philip Doyle) have all trusted men from their own ranks to guide them over the coming season.
An interesting Intermediate hurling season lies ahead. With Avondale dropping down they will bring a serious challenge to this poorly populated level.
They will meet major contenders in Eamon Esmonde’s Glenealy who claimed the honours last year, and in the Nigel Byrne managed Kiltegan, Kilcoole under Eamonn Hughes, the Rocks under Sean Pierce, Michael Neary’s St Pat’s and the men of Carnew Emmets hurling fans in Wicklow will be treated to a few super games over the course of the championship.
The full list of managers and management teams available to date are below:
SENIOR FOOTBALL
AGB Manager: Paul Gahan Selectors: TBC
ANNACURRA Manager: John Hynes
Selectors: Alan Nolan, Michael ‘Mitch’ Doyle, Sean O’Neill. AVONDALE Manager: Emmet O’Sullivan Selectors: Cormac Doyle, Brendan Ward and David Burke.
BALTINGLASS Manager: Ciarán Walshe Selectors: Paudge Doody, Mark Staines, Brian Whelan. Kitman: Brendan O’Neill
SAINT PATRICK’S Manager: Casey O’Brien Selectors: Gary Duffy, Ronan Connolly, Damien O’Brien.
Team admistrator: O’Brien Alan
BRAY EMMETS Management team: Tony Denver and Brian O’Keeffe.
Strength and Conditioning coach: Sean O’Neill.
Selectors: Niall Mullins, Gerry Morgan and Donal O’Connor.
HOLLYWOOD Manager: Mick Murray Selectors: Darragh Burke and Dave Tutty.
KILTEGAN Manager: Trevor Doyle Selectors: John Keogh and Mick Kearney. Kitman: Martin Nolan
RATHNEW Manager: Harry Murphy Selectors: Anthony Mernagh, PJ O’Connor.
Stats: Joe Kavanagh, Richard Kavanagh.
NEWTOWN Manager: John Lynch Selectors: TBC
BLESSINGTON Manager: Paddy O’Connor Trainer: Paul Drewitt Selector: Damien Breen
ÉIRE ÓG GREYSTONES Managers: Phil Smullen and Paul Hayden
TOMACORK Manager: TBC
Selectors: Pat Doyle, Pat Nolan, Timmy Collins, and John Joe Myers. *
* There is some uncertainty as to whether Tomacork will affiliate or not.
INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL
CARNEW EMMETS Manager: James Hickey Selectors: John Joe Myers, Liam Kennedy and Timmy Collins.
DONARD-THE GLEN Manager: Tadhg Fennin (KE) Selectors: Keith Furlong, Brendan Daly, Laurence Daly
DUNLAVIN Manager: Jonathan Daniels Coach: Michael McDermott Selectors: Davy Carty and Michael Dalton
Stats: James Whelan
BALLYMANUS Managers: Paddy Molloy and Kevin Byrne
Selector: Billy Byrne COOLKENNO Manager: Damien McMahon Selectors: Eoin McMahon and Paddy Dalton
RATHNEW Manager: TBC Selectors: TBC
LARAGH
Manager: Decky Byrne Selectors: Tommy Cullen and Hugh Cullen
Stats: Fergal Olahan
ASHFORD Manager: Philip Doyle Selectors: Adrian ‘Trapper’ Maher, Vinnie Hatton, Ronnie Phillips
BALLINACOR Manager: Paidi Byrne Selectors: TBC
TINAHELY Manager: Alan Costello Selectors: Martin Ging, Rory Stokes, Michael Byrne and Shane Kenny
STRATFORD-GRANGECON Manager: Pat Cronin Selectors: Jimmy ‘Sixpence’ Barrett and Declan Bollard
KILMACANOGUE Manager: Mark King Selectors: Peadar Smyth and Daryll Tighe
JUNIOR ‘A’ FOOTBALL
AN TOCHAR Manager: Tommy Kearney Selectors: James Schooner Brady , Christopher Brady and Des Swords , John Carr, Mike Hassett and Alex Devlin.
AUGHRIM Manager: Brendan Barnes Selectors: Tommy O’Brien and Paul Whelan.
BARNDARRIG Manager: TBC Selectors: TBC
COOLBOY Manager: Keith Byrne Selectors: Pat Doyle and Pat Nolan.
KNOCKANANNA Manager: Pat Lambe Selectors: Anthony Tracey and Declan ‘Sticks’ Whelan
VALLEYMOUNT Management team: Sean O’Sullivan, Seamus Miley, Pat Mahon and Billy Kavanagh.
KILBRIDE/LACKEN Manager: TBC Selector: TBC
SHILLELAGH Manager: Noel Muphy. Selectors: Anthony Grey and Darren Kavanagh
NEWCASTLE Manager: Ciaran McGuirl Selectors: Ian Longmore and Martin Merriman
ÉIRE ÓG GREYSTONES Management team: Philip Smullen and Paul Hayden
ST PATRICK’S Management team: Barry Fitzgerald and Anthony Franey
RATHNEW: Manager: TBC Selectors: TBC
BALTINGLASS Management team: Tommy Murphy, John Roy, Christy Whelan
KILCOOLE Manager: Ciaran Dutton Selectors: Gary Coady, Johnny Kavanagh and David Keddy.
JUNIOR ‘B’ FOOTBALL
AGB
Manager: Martin Hamilton Selectors: TBC
AVOCA
Manager: Mark O’Neill (Annacurra).
Coach/Selector: Eddie Leonard (St. Pats Wicklow), Coach/Selector Michael Quinn (Castletown) and Selector Pat Hickey (AGB)
CARNEW EMMETS Manager: TBC Selectors: TBC
DUNLAVIN Manager: TBC Selectors: TBC
BLESSINGTON Management team: Peter Behan, Stephen Doyle and Jeffrey Elliot.
AN TOCHAR Manager: Chris Brady Selectors: John Carr and Alex Devlin
NEWTOWN Manager: TBC Selectors: TBC
KILTEGAN Manager: Mick Foley Selectors: Mark Ryan, Adrian Keogh and Tom Cremin. Kitman: Martin Nolan
ST PATRICK’S Manager: John Smith Selectors: Garry Deehan, Donal Marron and Darragh McEvoy.
BALTINGLASS Management team: John Nolan, Con Murphy and Derek Nolan
ENNISKERRY Manager: Tom Taylor Selectors: Dara Connolly, Gary Kavanagh and John Tobin.
AVONDALE Manager: TBC Selectors: TBC