THERE WAS A good deal of positivity radiating in Cork hurling circles following the news that Kieran Kingston, Pat Ryan and Donal Óg Cusack are set to be ratified as the new managers of the senior, U20 and minor county teams respectively.
Kieran Kingston is set to be ratified as Cork manager on Tuesday night. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
They’re an experienced trio who will also have plenty of experience in their backroom set-ups. Former All-Star defender Wayne Sherlock and successful Imokilly boss Fergal Condon will be involved with Ryan’s U20s, while Cusack will be assisted by fellow Rebel legends Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Tom Kenny.
If Kingston completes his three-year term he’ll have eight years in total put in with the senior side – two during his previous stint as manager and three as part of Jimmy Barry Murphy’s management team between 2011 and 2013.
The Tracton clubman is bringing Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Ger Cunningham on board as part of his coaching ticket, with reports that Pat Mulcahy may yet be added.
The inclusion of Cunningham is an interesting one. A four-time All-Star goalkeeper during his playing career, Cunningham’s three-year tenure in charge of Dublin was a failure. He cast aside a number of experienced players who’ve since returned to the panel, Conal Keaney and Alan Nolan included, while others walked away.
Of the nine championship games Dublin played under Cunningham, they won just three, although he did blood a number of youngsters who are now regulars under Mattie Kenny.
Ger Cunningham during his reign over Dublin. Tommy Dickson / INPHO
Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO
The 58-year-old remains plugged into the Cork scene while he’s worked with a number of the current Rebels squad through his continued involvement with UCC. This will be his third stint as coach in the Cork camp.
He previously worked as coach under both Dónal O’Grady and John Allen between 2003 and 2006. He returned under Jimmy Barry-Murphy from 2011 to 2013 with the Rebels reaching the All-Ireland final in their final year.
Kingston joins a string of Cork bosses who’ve returned for the second bite at the cherry. Cannon Michael O’Brien, Barry-Murphy, Gerald McCarthy have all enjoyed two stints previously, while Johnny Clifford was appointed Cork manager on three separate occasions in the 1980s and ’90s.
Kieran Kingston joins recent list of @OfficialCorkGAA Managers who went for a second term Johnny Clifford (3) (RIP) 1982-1983 1985-1988 1993- 1995 Fr. Michael O'Brien(2) 1983-1985 1989-1993 Jimmy Barry-Murphy (2) 1995-2000 2011-2015 Gerald McCarthy(2) 1980-1982 2006-2009 pic.twitter.com/fXDGXorsmZ
During Kingston’s first year in charge, Cork meekly exited the Munster championship with an 0-22 to 0-13 defeat to Tipperary. Kingston shipped criticism for his use of William Egan as a sweeper in front of Seamus Callanan, a ploy that backfired spectacularly and was abandoned during the third quarter.
Liam Dunne’s Wexford subsequently ended their season in round 2 of the qualifiers with a shock three-point victory.
In 2017, Kingston injected youth into the starting team. With Mark Coleman, Darragh Fitzgibbon and his own son Shane breathing new life into the side, they defeated Tipperary, Waterford and Clare en-route to Munster glory.
Had Damien Cahalane not been sent off in the 58th minute of the All-Ireland semi-final, Cork may well have met Galway in the All-Ireland final.
Damien Cahalane with a red card following a second yellow in the 2017 All-Ireland semi-final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
After two years in charge, Kingston announced the surprise decision not to take up a fresh two-year term as manager in September 2017. He cited work commitments as the reason for his departure.
“I’m unable to combine my work and family commitments with the sheer amount of time needed for inter-county management at the top level,” he stated.
“I’m self-employed and I travel with my work, which thankfully is very busy at the moment. This impacts on the time available for inter-county duties.
“As many inter-county managers have pointed out recently, only those involved at this level are aware of the sheer level of time commitment involved. To be honest, you need to walk a mile in a manager’s shoes to get some idea of the job.
“It’s a professional commitment in all but name, and it amounts to a second full-time job for any manager who has ambitions not just to participate, but to succeed at the highest level.”
Evidently, the 55-year-old now has his ducks in-a-row. If anything, the time commitments have only become greater in inter-county management since he left, particularly given the provincial championships are now played on a round-robin basis.
Coleman and Fitzgibbon won All-Stars in 2017, while the latter added another in 2018, but their form dipped this year and they haven’t kicked on as many would have expected. Kingston may be the man to get the best out of that duo, and Shane Kingston who has yet to deliver consistently on his immense potential.
One key appointment Kingston made in his first tenure was bringing Gary Keegan on board. Keegan is the man who devised the hugely successful high-performance program in Irish boxing that delivered a plethora of medals in the past 15 years. He was also a key member of Jim Gavin’s set-up in Dublin during their five-in-a-row success.
Bernard Brogan recently mentioned the key influence Keegan had on the squad during meetings in between the drawn All-Ireland final and replay. He attended Dublin’s homecoming at Merion Square on Sunday, fully decked out in their team gear.
On the website for Keegan’s consultancy company, Gavin paid tribute to his impact on the Dublin squad:
“Gary has made a profound impact on Dublin GAA football. He is a transformational leader in the truest sense, acting with integrity, encouraging innovation and he has an innate ability to inspire. The biggest compliment that I can pay to Gary is that he has led a mindset shift enabling us to create a powerful pathway in what we do and how we do it.”
Widely regarded as one of the most forward-thinking sporting minds in the country, Keegan also spent eight years as director of Sport Ireland.
Gary Keegan has advised Jim Gavin and the Dublin squad in recent years. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“Gary Keegan transformed the whole thing,” said Cork forward Luke O’Farrell back in March.
“He completely transformed my outlook on hurling. I would say a 360 degree turn. He gave me and all of us strength. I remember in 2017 I came on against Waterford and did shocking with the first two balls.
“But I remember I got an important point towards the end that I knew I wouldn’t have got if it wasn’t for him. The balls I’d messed up would have been too much in my head. He was huge on that: mindfulness and living in the moment.”
Keegan remained with Cork for John Meyler’s first year in charge when they retained the Munster crown and reached the All-Ireland semi-final, but his departure was announced last December.
Cork appear to be getting their house in order in both hurling and football under county board CEO Kevin O’Donovan.
The hurling appointments are all of high calibre, but if Kingston could tempt Keegan back on board, it would go down as the best move of all.
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Assessing Kieran Kingston's return to the Cork hurling hot-seat
THERE WAS A good deal of positivity radiating in Cork hurling circles following the news that Kieran Kingston, Pat Ryan and Donal Óg Cusack are set to be ratified as the new managers of the senior, U20 and minor county teams respectively.
They’re an experienced trio who will also have plenty of experience in their backroom set-ups. Former All-Star defender Wayne Sherlock and successful Imokilly boss Fergal Condon will be involved with Ryan’s U20s, while Cusack will be assisted by fellow Rebel legends Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Tom Kenny.
If Kingston completes his three-year term he’ll have eight years in total put in with the senior side – two during his previous stint as manager and three as part of Jimmy Barry Murphy’s management team between 2011 and 2013.
The Tracton clubman is bringing Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Ger Cunningham on board as part of his coaching ticket, with reports that Pat Mulcahy may yet be added.
The inclusion of Cunningham is an interesting one. A four-time All-Star goalkeeper during his playing career, Cunningham’s three-year tenure in charge of Dublin was a failure. He cast aside a number of experienced players who’ve since returned to the panel, Conal Keaney and Alan Nolan included, while others walked away.
Of the nine championship games Dublin played under Cunningham, they won just three, although he did blood a number of youngsters who are now regulars under Mattie Kenny.
The 58-year-old remains plugged into the Cork scene while he’s worked with a number of the current Rebels squad through his continued involvement with UCC. This will be his third stint as coach in the Cork camp.
He previously worked as coach under both Dónal O’Grady and John Allen between 2003 and 2006. He returned under Jimmy Barry-Murphy from 2011 to 2013 with the Rebels reaching the All-Ireland final in their final year.
Kingston joins a string of Cork bosses who’ve returned for the second bite at the cherry. Cannon Michael O’Brien, Barry-Murphy, Gerald McCarthy have all enjoyed two stints previously, while Johnny Clifford was appointed Cork manager on three separate occasions in the 1980s and ’90s.
During Kingston’s first year in charge, Cork meekly exited the Munster championship with an 0-22 to 0-13 defeat to Tipperary. Kingston shipped criticism for his use of William Egan as a sweeper in front of Seamus Callanan, a ploy that backfired spectacularly and was abandoned during the third quarter.
Liam Dunne’s Wexford subsequently ended their season in round 2 of the qualifiers with a shock three-point victory.
In 2017, Kingston injected youth into the starting team. With Mark Coleman, Darragh Fitzgibbon and his own son Shane breathing new life into the side, they defeated Tipperary, Waterford and Clare en-route to Munster glory.
Had Damien Cahalane not been sent off in the 58th minute of the All-Ireland semi-final, Cork may well have met Galway in the All-Ireland final.
After two years in charge, Kingston announced the surprise decision not to take up a fresh two-year term as manager in September 2017. He cited work commitments as the reason for his departure.
“I’m unable to combine my work and family commitments with the sheer amount of time needed for inter-county management at the top level,” he stated.
“I’m self-employed and I travel with my work, which thankfully is very busy at the moment. This impacts on the time available for inter-county duties.
“As many inter-county managers have pointed out recently, only those involved at this level are aware of the sheer level of time commitment involved. To be honest, you need to walk a mile in a manager’s shoes to get some idea of the job.
“It’s a professional commitment in all but name, and it amounts to a second full-time job for any manager who has ambitions not just to participate, but to succeed at the highest level.”
Evidently, the 55-year-old now has his ducks in-a-row. If anything, the time commitments have only become greater in inter-county management since he left, particularly given the provincial championships are now played on a round-robin basis.
Coleman and Fitzgibbon won All-Stars in 2017, while the latter added another in 2018, but their form dipped this year and they haven’t kicked on as many would have expected. Kingston may be the man to get the best out of that duo, and Shane Kingston who has yet to deliver consistently on his immense potential.
One key appointment Kingston made in his first tenure was bringing Gary Keegan on board. Keegan is the man who devised the hugely successful high-performance program in Irish boxing that delivered a plethora of medals in the past 15 years. He was also a key member of Jim Gavin’s set-up in Dublin during their five-in-a-row success.
Bernard Brogan recently mentioned the key influence Keegan had on the squad during meetings in between the drawn All-Ireland final and replay. He attended Dublin’s homecoming at Merion Square on Sunday, fully decked out in their team gear.
On the website for Keegan’s consultancy company, Gavin paid tribute to his impact on the Dublin squad:
Widely regarded as one of the most forward-thinking sporting minds in the country, Keegan also spent eight years as director of Sport Ireland.
“Gary Keegan transformed the whole thing,” said Cork forward Luke O’Farrell back in March.
“He completely transformed my outlook on hurling. I would say a 360 degree turn. He gave me and all of us strength. I remember in 2017 I came on against Waterford and did shocking with the first two balls.
“But I remember I got an important point towards the end that I knew I wouldn’t have got if it wasn’t for him. The balls I’d messed up would have been too much in my head. He was huge on that: mindfulness and living in the moment.”
Keegan remained with Cork for John Meyler’s first year in charge when they retained the Munster crown and reached the All-Ireland semi-final, but his departure was announced last December.
Cork appear to be getting their house in order in both hurling and football under county board CEO Kevin O’Donovan.
The hurling appointments are all of high calibre, but if Kingston could tempt Keegan back on board, it would go down as the best move of all.
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Comeback GAA Gary Keegan KIERAN Kingston Cork