Kingston, Ryan and Cusack take up senior, U-20 and minor hurling jobs

CORK GAA announced this week that it would be handing the county’s senior hurling management role to Kieran Kingston, just two years after the Tracton man stepped away from one of the biggest jobs in the game nationally.

Kingston, who led Cork back in 2016 and 17, will return to the role just two months after former manager John Meyler stepped down from the post back in July.

Kingston will bring Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Ger Cunningham along as selector and coach respectively with the former revisiting the role he had beside Kingston a couple of years ago with Cunningham adding his vast breath of experience to this Cork hurling ticket.

Cork GAA also ratified Pat Ryan as U-20 manager after parting ways with Fermoy’s Denis Ring in recent weeks.

Ryan (Sarsfields) will head up a squad that has been very impressive in recent years without making the breakthrough that many thought was inevitable. Two losses in the last two All-Ireland finals to Tipperary will be seen as a failure in most eyes and Cork have turned to Ryan (a winner himself of the U21 title with Cork in 1997) to bridge what will now be a 22-year gap.

Ryan will have Donal O’Mahony (Bishopstown) on his shoulder with Brendan Coleman (Youghal), Imokilly’s Fergal Condon and Blackrock’s Wayne Sherlock all there to help secure what would be the county’s first All Ireland title since 1998.

At the same time as the other announcements the executive proposed that a new minor backroom team would be brought to the County Board with three serious names in Cork GAA Hurling history on the ticket.

Donal Óg Cusack is back in the Cork fold with the job as the county’s minor coach thrust upon the Cloyne man.

Cusack has been a controversial figure in many GAA fans’ eyes for years (both on and off the telly), however bringing the east Cork man back inside the tent seems like a bold and positive move from both the executive and the County Board.

Cusack will have two other Cork hurling legends by his side with Seán Óg Ó hAilpín (Na Piarsaigh) and Tom Kenny(Grenagh) sure to bring their own influences to what is a very exciting management team.

The final recommendation from the executive was toappointment of current U15 manager Noel Furlong (Carrigtwohill) as U16 manager for a two-year term. Furlong will be joined by Seanie McGrath (Bantry Blues), Niall McCarthy (Carrigtwohill), Ger O’Regan (St Finbarr’s) and David Dorgan (Fr. O’Neill’s) as selectors.