Gaelic Games

Joe McMahon to join Robbie Brennan’s management team at Meath

Former Monaghan and Cavan trainer Martin Corey also on the ticket

Former Tyrone footballer Joe McMahon. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Former Tyrone footballer Joe McMahon. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Gordon Manning
Wed Sept 11 2024 - 15:25

Former Tyrone All-Ireland winning player and coach Joe McMahon is set to be part of Robbie Brennan’s proposed Meath senior football management team.

It is believed former Monaghan and Cavan trainer Martin Corey is also on the ticket as Kilmacud Crokes boss Brennan, who already has Bernard Flynn on board, assembles a heavyweight backroom set-up in his bid to succeed Colm O’Rourke at the helm in Meath.

The acquisition of experienced coaches in McMahon and Corey would be seen as significant in Meath football circles as attracting and retaining top-end trainers has been a problem for the Royals in recent years.

McMahon, an All-Ireland winning player with Tyrone in 2006 and 2008, was part of the coaching set-up in his native county under the joint management team of Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher from 2021-2024.

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In 2021 Tyrone won the Ulster and All-Ireland senior football championships. McMahon also coached the Galbally footballers when they won the Tyrone and Ulster intermediate in 2022, their journey only ending in a defeat to Kerry’s Rathmore in the All-Ireland decider. He had a spell with the Fermanagh footballers in 2020 too.

Corey was coach with Cavan when they won the Ulster title in 2020 and most recently he was trainer with his native Monaghan during the tenure of his brother, Vinny, as Farney manager.

Monaghan contested the 2023 All-Ireland semi-final, losing to Dublin. Corey was also coach with Castlerahan when they won back-to-back Cavan senior football titles in 2018 and 2019 – which remain the only two senior championships ever claimed by the club.

O’Rourke was in charge of Meath for two seasons, with the Royals winning the Tailteann Cup in 2023. However, he stepped down at the end of last month.

Lar Wall and Cathal Ó Bric were also seen as early front-runners alongside Brennan for the Meath position, but the latter has since been reappointed as under-20 manager in the county.

Ó Bric led Meath to All-Ireland minor glory in 2021 and a Leinster under-20 title this season, and he will remain with the 20s next year.

Wall, who made huge strides during his time as Gaeil Colmcille boss and subsequently managed the Downs to a Westmeath SFC in 2022, was part of Davy Burke’s Roscommon management team this season. Brennan is currently managing the Kilmacud Crokes senior footballers and has guided the Stillorgan outfit to the last three Dublin senior titles. It is believed interviews for the position will begin over the coming days.

Gordon Manning

Gordon Manning

Gordon Manning is a sports journalist, specialising in Gaelic games, with The Irish Times