Barry presents real challenge to Boylan

Gaelic Games Managerial movesThe Meath football manager will finally be decided on Monday evening when county board officials and club delegates vote whether to give Seán Boylan another year at the helm or bring in Eamonn Barry.

Barry's success at club level with Dunshaughlin, culminating in the Leinster club title last year, would have seen him promoted to the top job in nearly every other county in the country. But Boylan's name has been synonymous with Meath football, for 22 years now.

Barry has been seeking the job for some time. So much so, that last month, when the rumour mill surrounding the then-vacant Westmeath manager's berth was working overtime, he released a statement ruling himself out:

"In view of the media speculation and misinformation being circulated in local and national newspapers, I wish to make it known that I have not been approached by the Westmeath County Board in relation to the team manager position. I have made it known I am not interested in the position," the statement read

"I have been nominated by several clubs in Co Meath for the position of senior football team manager and this is the only position that interests me."

This is the second successive year he has gone head-to-head with Boylan. He was defeated 49-30 last year, but after another poor campaign - which saw Meath knocked out by Fermanagh in the qualifiers - Boylan is facing his toughest test.

Meanwhile, the Meath County Board have endorsed Clare native John Hunt as the new hurling manager, to succeed Michael Duignan. Hunt is not exactly coming in from the cold as the Blackhall Gaels clubman served as a selector last year.

Tipperary will announce their football manager at Wednesday's county board meeting. The person will be from outside the county but football board chairman Mick Frawley dismissed suggestions that Larry Tompkins would be appointed.

"I don't know where that came from. We never spoke to, or even approached Larry Tompkins," said Frawley. "However, we are extremely close to making an appointment, which will be presented to the county board by the middle of next week."

A seven-man sub-committee, including Frawley, Eddie Lonergan, Hugh Kennedy, Petie Savage and three club representatives have been searching, for the last month, for a replacement for Tom McGlinchey.

Although Frawley would not release the name of the single candidate, he did confirm he would be from outside Tipperary, thus ruling out former hurling boss Michael "Babs" Keating.

Several other names have been mooted for the role, including former manager Séamus McCarthy, who is back working in the county, and Denis "Ogie" Moran. However, after the many managerial changes since the summer the likes of Luke Dempsey and Paul O'Kelly cannot be ruled out of the equation.