The inter-county managerial merry-go-round has begun and once again Mayo are in the news. Last week Mayo County Board confirmed that former player Andy Moran is replacing Kevin McStay as manager. The 42-year-old from Ballaghaderreen was a good forward and was named Footballer of the Year in 2017. Officially Ballaghaderreen is now in County Roscommon, but many of the players from the town declare for Mayo. Moran made 150 league and championship appearances for the Green above the Red. Later Moran managed his local club and spent two years in charge of Leitrim. Last year Andy was part of Gabriel Brannigan’s backroom team in Monaghan last year. But can Moran end the famine in Mayo? Next year will be the 75thanniversary of Mayo last All-Ireland senior football final win, when captain and later politician Seán Flanagan lifted the famous Sam Maguire Cup after Mayo’s win over Meath in 1951. Moran was a good player, but then so were other former managers Kevin McStay and James Horan before him. There are tales of a local priest putting a curse on the Mayo team as they didn’t respect a funeral in Foxford on their way home on the Monday after the All-Ireland final in September 1951. We were told that the curse would last until all the team had died. Well the 15 players and subs who featured back in 1951 have all passed on, but still Mayo cannot win a final. Moran knows all about losing, he was on six of Mayo’s losing All-Ireland teams. However, they live in hope and could we see a repeat of the 1951 final in 2026, Mayo versus Meath as happened in 1951.
MCGEENEY BEGINS
12TH YEAR AS BOSS
The days of long-serving inter-county managers seem to be over, well apart from Kieran McGeeney. The former Armagh captain is set to embark on a 12th season as Armagh manager, but that really feels like the exception to the rule in the modern game. The 23 years Seán Boylan was charge of Meath are famous while Mickey Harte chalked up 18 years as Tyrone manager and Mick O’Dwyer had 14 very successful years with his native Kerry.
Most managers like to manage their native county at some stage and former Cavan midfielder Dermot McCabe has got his wish; last week he was confirmed as the Breffni manager after a spell with Westmeath. Peter Keane has stepped down as Clare senior football manager, after one year in charge. But it’s unlikely Keane will be returning to his native Kerry, as it looks like Jack O’Connor is staying on. Clare have moved quickly to appoint Paul Madden as their new senior football manager, Madden is a three-time Clare championship winning manager with Eire Og in Ennis and only stepped down from that role after eight years earlier this year. In hurling Kevin O’Brien has been confirmed as the new Westmeath’s new senior hurling manager where he replaces Limerick-native Seoirse Bulfin, who stepped down in June after one season in charge. O’Brien, who previously managed the Lake County under 20’s led his native Clonkill to back-to-back county senior hurling titles in 2018 and 2019. O’Brien faces a major rebuilding job in Westmeath. In nearby Offaly Galway-born Johnny Kelly is set to stay on as manager of the Faithful County hurlers for a fourth year in 2026.
