INCOMING
It’s autumn and county managers are falling while new men take the reins
AFTER a slow start, Gaelic football’s managerial merrygo-round has picked up pace and a minimum of 12 counties will go into next season under new leadership.
That matches this year’s number of new appointees, but what staggers is that a third of the those appointed last autumn only stayed the course for one season with Cathal Corey (Sligo), Colin Kelly (Westmeath), Pete McGrath (Louth) and Stephen Wallace (Offaly) all around for a short time but not necessarily a good one.
That can be taken as a measure of the pressure of the job and invite the observation that while it is tough at the top, it is even tougher at the bottom.
Perhaps, but the three of the most eye-grabbing premature departures came from the other end of the game’s spectrum. Éamonn Fitzmaurice (Kerry), Stephen Rochford (Mayo) and Kevin McStay (Roscommon) all said farewell even though they still had time remaining on their agreements.
Those three counties are among the five — Sligo and Louth the others — who are still in the process of finding their new man.
And that may not necessarily be the end of the affair with Meath coy about committing to Andy McEntee seeing out his final year, waiting until he presents himself before county board delegates next month.
And Kildare manager Cian O’Neill is rumoured to be on Munster rugby’s coaching wishlist, which means that, as ever, the merry-go-round only slows down but never stops.
Here is where it is at right now:
LEITRIM
Former Cavan manager Terry Hyland has been appointed on a three-year term. His management team is likely to be made public inside the next 24 hours.
MAYO
No sooner had deadline for nominations from clubs passed on Wednesday then the news broke that Ballintubber had nominated James Horan, with Under 20 manager Mick Solan also up for consideration.
Under the process, all nominated candidates have to express an interest which answers one question, Horan is ready to go back to Mayo after a five-year absence.
The other question, though, is if the Mayo board want him back?
That is something he is likely to find out shortly when he is interviewed by a five-man committee, headed up by county chairman Mick Connelly.
All will be revealed inside the next two to three weeks.
ROSCOMMON
Nominations closed last Friday, and the list of potential candidates is a lengthy one.
Liam Kearns, still very much the Tipperary manager, and Denis Connerton have been mentioned in dispatches, but the one which has got most traction is Mick Bohan, the Dublin ladies manager who has visited the county in the past to assist in the odd coaching session at underage level.
The county final is scheduled for October 14 and the plan is to have their man in place by then.
SLIGO
A protracted process has all but reached its conclusion with former county star Paul Taylor set to be ratified this week
Another former county player Gerry McGowan, who was a member of Cathal Corey’s management team last year, had also been linked with the position.
CAVAN
Former county star Mickey Graham — a member of the 1997 Ulster Championship-winning team — has been given a fouryear term, with a review built in after two years.
Cavan legend Dermot McCabe will serve as his assistant while Martin Corey, brother of Monaghan star Vinny, is team trainer.
DOWN
After years spent in a supporting role, Paddy Tally has finally landed his own gig.
He cashed in on the kudos that came his way for his role with Galway this season, with county legend Benny Coulter, Gavin McGilly and Stephen Beattie coming on board as well.
KERRY
All that speculation about the third coming of Jack O’Connor amounted to nothing but a serial winning All-Ireland manager from South Kerry still looks the most likely for the hot-seat.
Caherciveen native Peter Keane is now the front-runner and not just as a reward for managing the Kingdom to three All-Ireland minor titles in a row, but it is also believed that he is the best placed to land Donie Buckley as coach.
And right now, Kerry arguably need a coach as much as it needs a manager. The new management set-up is due to be ratified on October 8.
WATERFORD
Benji Whelan may not be well known outside of Waterford, but he has earned his stripes on the domestic front.
Not only did he lead The Nire to two county titles, he also took them as far as the Munster final both times.
WESTMEATH
The midlanders have gone back to the future in appointing Jack Cooney, who was part of Páidí Ó Sé’s management team when they won Leinster in 2004. Former Offaly star Pascal Keelaghan comes in as coach, while Cathal Mullin will act as goalkeeping coach but the full management team has yet to be finalised.
LONGFORD
Former forward ace Padraic Davis succeeds Denis Connerton as manager of a county with a reputation of punching above their weight.
Davis, on the back of a lauded playing career, should command respect and so will a management team which includes Paul Barden, Donal Ledwith and former Galway player John Donnellan.
LOUTH
Even though Pete McGrath walked away in early summer, Louth have still not got around to naming his successor. It has been a low-key process but a clear favourite has emerged in former county minor boss Wayne Kierans.
OFFALY
After a decade out of the intercounty, the return of John Maughan to inter-county management has taken many by surprise, and it is not an appointment that has been universally welcomed.
In particular, the snubbing of local candidates Pascal Keelaghan and Mark Plunkett for interviews, which desired the completing of an exhaustive questionnaire, and sought details of their proposed management team, has not sat well.
Maughan, appointed for an unspecified term, has yet to finalise his management team.
Horan is ready to go back to Mayo after a five-year absence