Cork board retain duo in hurling and football

MANAGERIAL DECISIONS:THIS TRANSITORY and often nervous period for county managers continued last night starting in Cork, where the county board met to ratify the reappointment of Gerald McCarthy as senior hurling manager and Conor Counihan as senior football manager.

There had been some doubt about McCarthy's intentions for the season ahead after his two-year term to date had failed to produce silverware, but in the end he agreed to let his name go forward for a further two years, although there will be some changes to the backroom team.

One of McCarthy's selectors, Martin Bowen, has left the set-up to take charge of Erin's Own, the club side he led to the Cork hurling title two years ago. Long-serving team trainer Jerry Wallis, who was involved under Donal O'Grady and John Allen, has also announced his intention to step down.

Counihan took over the football position in difficult circumstances earlier in the year when the Cork players' strike resulted in Teddy Holland being removed as manager before even one game in charge. His selectors will be Ger O'Sullivan (Dromtariffe), Terry O'Neill (Bantry Blues), Peader Healy (Naomh Aban) and Jim Nolan (Castlehaven).

The Tipperary County Board also met last night to ratify the reappointment of senior hurling manager Liam Sheedy along with trainer Eamon O'Shea and selector Michael Ryan.

This team was put in place for a two-year term last autumn, yet the recommendation from the board executive was to extend their term by a further year to include the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

The county under-21 hurling management team under Declan Carr was also ratified for another year, with one change. Eamon Kelly has to step down as selector, and is replaced by Ken Hogan, who thus joins Martin Gleeson, Ger Maguire and Noel Russell.

The existing minor management team of Declan Ryan, Tommy Dunne, Liam Cahill and Michael Gleeson decided against going forward for a third year, and the recommendation from the county executive was to appoint Mark O'Leary as manager, to be joined by Damien Young, Pat Buckley and Kevin Shelly.

In football, Tipperary's management team of John Evans, John Cummins and Niall Kelly will continue for a second year, with Evans also taking over the under-21 role from Peter Creedon in addition to two under-21 selectors, Jonathan Cullen and Pat Moroney.

Meath have also appointed a new three-man committee to resume the search for a successor to Colm Coyle as football manager following the collapse of the process earlier in the month after the management committee's decision to block Luke Dempsey's appointment last week.

County board chairman Barney Allen is the only survivor from the original committee, and is joined by hurling board chairman TJ Reilly and Francis Flynn. Former Louth manager and Navan-based Paddy Carr, who has just taken Kilmacud Crokes to tomorrow's Dublin county final, has come into the running in opposition to the main candidate, Eamonn O'Brien.

Wexford, likewise, have agreed a selection committee to search for their new senior hurling manager following the removal of John Meyler. Chairman Ger Doyle and secretary Margaret Doyle will be joined by county board representatives Philip Howlin and Toss Ryan in addition to former Wexford manager John Conran, chairman of the Wexford supporters Michael Dempsey, and former player Declan Ruth. Former Waterford selector Kevin Ryan has emerged as an early candidates to take over from Meyler.

Elsewhere, the Westmeath County Board have had their request to enter the Ulster championship next year turned down. Given the draw had already taken place, the Ulster Council felt any such request could only be considered for the year after, 2010.

It has also emerged Waterford won't have any representation in the Munster club football championship after county board officials admitted they will not have their county championship, which is still at the quarter-final stage, completed in time. As a result, recent Clare champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane will go straight to the Munster semi-finals.

The GAA yesterday confirmed a letter has been sent to the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe, to request a meeting to discuss the implications of the revision of the rules on substitution cover for teachers in post-primary schools, proposed in last week's Budget.

The GAA have highlighted their concerns that the implementation of the changes will curtail the development of Gaelic games in secondary schools and will negatively impact on the playing of GAA post-primary school competitions.

The Wicklow senior hurling final, scheduled for Sunday, may not go ahead. The county's fixtures body has scheduled the final at Aughrim but Glenealy, the defending champions, say they won't turn up to face Carnew. Glenealy are furious because the body is insisting they play the final without Leighton Glynn, who is in Australia with the Irish squad for the International Rules series.