Waterford manager's position set to be filled by another McCarthy

Justin McCarthy is set to become the new Waterford hurling manager, succeeding his fellow Corkman Gerald McCarthy.

Justin McCarthy is set to become the new Waterford hurling manager, succeeding his fellow Corkman Gerald McCarthy.

His name has been put forward by a three-man committee nominated by the county board's executive, which was given the responsibility of finding a successor to Gerald McCarthy, and the executive committee supported that decision on Monday night.

The nomination will go before the full county board meeting next Monday night for ratification by all the county delegates. Gerald McCarthy stepped down after Waterford's defeat by Limerick in the Munster championship semi-final and discussions had taking place between the committee and fellow Corkman Justin McCarthy in recent weeks.

It is expected that there may be other nominations from the clubs, but McCarthy is now clearly the front-runner. The former Cork player already has considerable experience in coaching, and is currently involved with the Na Piarsaigh club in Cork. It would be his first inter-county responsibility.

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McCarthy had previously coached with Ballincollig, as well as earning considerable success with Cashel King Cormacs, where he won three Tipperary senior titles and a Munster championship.

As a player, he was on the same team as Gerald McCarthy that won the 1966 All-Ireland championship, playing at midfield, but he suffered multiple leg injuries in a motorbike accident a couple of years later while on route to a county training session.

It was also decided that Colm Bonnar should go forward again as team selector, with the other candidate being former county defender Seamie Hannon.

Meanwhile, RT╔ yesterday announced plans to alter their original arrangements and that they would now provide live coverage of Sunday's first hurling quarter-final between Galway and Derry at Croke Park (2.15). The match will be shown as the first part of a double-header, the second part featuring Limerick against Wexford (4.0).

The new arrangements have been made due to the significant number of requests RT╔ has received, particularly from the counties concerned, that the match be shown live on television.

Earlier in the week, RT╔ announced that they wouldn't be covering the opening game but Tim O'Connor, RT╔ head of sport, explained the turnaround in their original decision: "Due to the volume of interest expressed in the match, particularly from Derry and Galway, and because we will have an outside broadcast unit in Croke Park on Sunday, we are glad we can include this additional match in our comprehensive range of GAA coverage this season."

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan is an Irish Times sports journalist writing on athletics