Cork offer Counihan choice of selectors to stay

THE CORK County Board have given Conor Counihan their backing to continue for another two years as senior footballer manager with the added bonus of choosing his own selectors.

Although this effectively rubber-stamps the position until the end of 2012, Counihan has yet to declare his commitment.

That would now appear a formality, with Tuesday’s meeting of the Cork county board unanimous in their approval. The freedom to choose his own selectors is seen a further incentive for Counihan to remain in charge.

“He’s been offered the position for another two years, formally, and we would expect a decision from him within the next week to 10 days,” explained Cork press officer Ger Lane, also the liaison officer for the senior football team.

“So look, we’d be hopeful now that he would stay on. In the past the board would also have had to approve his selectors, and that has sometimes created some difficulty. But we proposed a motion where he would be given a free hand to choose his own selectors.

“Although if he does continue there’s no reason to believe that he won’t go with the same selection team again.”

In the past, All-Ireland winning managers in Cork were usually offered an extra year in charge if their current term had ended, although in Counihan’s case that was extended to two years – which underlines the board’s eagerness to keep him in the position.

The situation with Cork hurling manager Denis Walsh wasn’t raised, despite his dividing opinions in the county earlier this week with his omission of Seán Óg Ó hAilpín from his planned panel for 2011:

“No, Denis Walsh’s position wasn’t raised at all, nor was there any reason for it to be. He’s currently in a three-year term that doesn’t finish until the end of 2011.”

The Kilkenny county board are playing a similar waiting game regarding Brian Cody’s position as senior hurling manager.

“Of course the position is his if he wants it,” confirmed Kilkenny secretary Ned Quinn. “He hasn’t given any indication yet of what his exact intentions are, although he normally does wait until after the county final (on this Sunday). But we are expecting a decision before our next county board meeting, which takes place the second Monday in November (8th).”

That leaves Meath as the only county still to confirm a senior management position for 2011, with interviews underway to find a replacement for football manager Eamonn O’Brien, who controversially lost a vote of confidence in early September.

Former Monaghan Séamus McEnaney has emerged as the main contender, with reports he would be joined by selectors Liam Harnan, centre back on the 1988 All-Ireland-winning side and current Skryne manager, and also possibly Paul Grimley, who has previously worked in Kildare, Cavan and Armagh, plus Martin McElkennon, the well respected fitness coach.

One of the original candidates, Paddy Carr, has withdrawn to focus on Kilmacud Crokes, who reclaimed the Dublin football title last Sunday and are now fancied to reclaim their Leinster title and All-Ireland titles.

The interviews for the Meath position are being carried out by county chairman Barney Allen, former All-Ireland winning captain Joe Cassells and Liam Keane, former chairman of the Central Hearings Committee.