County board keen to keep tradition

TIPPERARY MANAGER’S POST TIPPERARY GAA chairman Seán Nugent expects the next manager of the county’s senior hurling team will…

TIPPERARY MANAGER'S POSTTIPPERARY GAA chairman Seán Nugent expects the next manager of the county's senior hurling team will be a native of the county.

The Kilsheelan-Kilcash clubman does not believe Tipperary will break with tradition and plump for an outsider to replace Declan Ryan as boss who fresigned at the weekend.

Former Cork and Limerick boss Donal O’Grady was one of the names bandied about but Nugent insisted: “My view is that we have people ably qualified for the position here in Tipperary. With a lot of these people, the question is do they have the time? It’s the type of job that takes up an awful lot of your time, a job that the manager eats, sleeps and drinks. There are so many things to do and organise and it’s a hugely time consuming job. You’re looking for the kind of person that has that time, and the qualities to do the job.”

Nugent is heading up a nine-man committee to seek out Ryan’s replacement. He is one of five county board officers leading the hunt, along with vice chairman Michael Bourke, secretary Tim Floyd, PRO Ger Ryan and treasurer Eamonn Buckley.

READ MORE

The quintet will be assisted in their search by the four divisional chairmen in Tipperary, namely Roger Kennedy in the West, John McGrath from the North, John Devane representing the Mid and Joe Brennan from the South. It is anticipated that a full county board meeting will be fixed for September 18th. Nugent said: “It would be my wish it’s done and dusted in the month of September but these processes can be slow.”

Nugent insisted Ryan deserves huge credit for guiding Tipperary to successive Munster SHC titles in 2011 and ’12, having taken over from Liam Sheedy.