Mayo closing in on O'Mahony

News Round-up: The meeting of Mayo chairman John Waldron with John O'Mahony later this week makes it clear who the county board hope will succeed Mickey Moran as football manager.

O'Mahony must now make a decision about returning to intercounty management two years after stepping down following a successful tenure with Galway. Mayo and O'Mahony were at this juncture in 2005 but the aspiring Fianna Gael TD eventually distanced himself from the job.

So what has changed in a year?

"Now I am in a political campaign and I intend to fulfil that," said O'Mahony at yesterday's announcement of the GPA football team of the year. "I am also retired from teaching and that gives me some extra time. They are the two things that have changed. All that will have to be put into the mix to see does it make a material difference."

A potential advantage of taking the job was put to O'Mahony: could it augment his political ambitions?

"Any job I take will be taken on the full merits of being successful in the job that's being done. I think anyone who knows my record would know I would do it to advance the cause of the job that I go into, rather than for any other reason.

"People would also have said in recent weeks the words 'turn down Mayo'. I have never turned my back (on Mayo football). For instance, I was helping in a small way in the background with Pat Holmes this year in the under-21 championship and I have helped out at schools of excellence.

"Last year, I had a whole lot of other things on at the time so I decided to take a year out from intercounty management. It's not that I took over any other county. That's not a true reflection of turning down anyone. We'll look at it in the cool light of day and see where we go from here."

O'Mahony's immediate focus remains his home club Ballaghaderreen and the Mayo football final replay against Crossmolina next Sunday in Castlebar and, of course, the hustings. He has also been assisting Roscommon club St Brigid's this season.

The Roscommon and Mayo champions are due to meet in the semi-final of the Connacht club championship.

Meanwhile, a fundraising initiative was launched yesterday by Leitrim GAA supporters in conjunction with the county board to raise €1.5 million for a new 3,000-seat covered stand and other facilities at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The work will cost €3 million in total, but half that has already been secured from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and the GAA. All donations are tax-efficient, starting from €580 to €14,500 for 42 per cent PAYE taxpayers and from €800 to €20,000 for 20 per cent taxpayers.

The Dublin county football final between UCD and St Vincent's has been set for Monday at 8pm, in order to allow for the return of St Vincent's forward Tomás Quinn from holidays in Florida.

Quinn returned to Dublin for 24 hours on Monday to score 1-3 in the semi-final victory over Na Fianna.

The winners play Meath champions Wolfe Tones in the Leinster club championship on Friday night in Páirc Tailteann, Navan.

Once the leading club in Leinster, Carlow club Eire Óg have felt the heavy hand of the county disciplinary committee.

The Carlow County Board decided to come down heavily on the club following scenes during and after their county senior football semi-final clash with Kildavin-Clonegal, with county officers incensed by the treatment of officials by players and the damage done to dressingrooms.

The most severe suspension was imposed on Eire Óg clubman Robbie Moore, who was banned for 48 weeks for actions towards the end of the game.

County star Simon Rea received an eight-week ban, along with club colleagues Tommy Dowling and Vinny Kavanagh, while Dowling was also banned from the club's next senior football championship game, which will not be until 2007.

Former Tyrone midfielder Jody Gormley has been appointed manager of Antrim's senior footballers in succession to Mickey Culbert.