Sunday, March 21, 2010 Previous editions
Friday, March 27, 2009
FORMER Cork dual star Denis Walsh was last night named the county’s new senior hurling manager, bringing an end to the bitter six-month impasse.
The three-man committee of Jimmy Barry-Murphy, John Fenton and Denis Coughlan, charged by Central Council with selecting a new boss, chose former All-Ireland medal winner Walsh, who will fill the vacancy that arose when Gerald McCarthy resigned earlier this month.
Interim boss John Considine will remain in charge for Sunday’s NHL clash with Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, but Walsh will be at the helm for the first time on Sunday week when Cork travel to face All-Ireland champions Kilkenny.
A decision taken at last Tuesday night’s county board meeting ensured that if the selection committee chose a manager before Sunday week, that candidate could take charge for the Kilkenny game. Walsh will be ratified at the April 7 meeting of the county board. His appointment is likely to be well received within GAA circles in Cork, as he as a consensus candidate carrying no baggage from the three strikes that crippled Cork GAA in the past seven years.
Walsh emerged as a viable candidate in recent days, with club commitments believed to have knocked previous favourite Tomás Mulcahy out of the reckoning. Mulcahy, a teammate of Walsh in the 1990 All-Ireland winning side, committed himself to manage club side Glen Rovers for the 2009 season. It is understood that since Glen Rovers reached last year’s Cork SHC semi-finals and lifted the Cork U-21 hurling title, Mulcahy was eager to remain in charge of the Blackpool outfit for another season.
Interim boss Considine, who starred in the full-back line with Walsh in Cork’s 1990 All-Ireland winning side, believes Cork hurling is in good hands with the St Catherine’s man at the helm.
"Knowing Denis, this guy will give it absolutely everything. He’s a magnificent record as a player and is a very competitive guy who wants to win. My main focus is to round off our job on Sunday and keep the lads focused on the Limerick game. I’m hugely grateful for all the help I’ve got over the last couple of weeks from everybody and I wish Denis the very best."
County Board chairman Jerry O’Sullivan expressed his delight at Walsh’s appointment.
"We’re delighted with the appointment.
"I’m delighted that the process has been done quickly. For that, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the three people on the selection committee and also to Páraic Duffy for his work too. It’s a great day for Cork GAA and with everything now sorted out, it’s full steam ahead."
Walsh has previous inter-county management experience, having guided the fortunes of the Waterford senior footballers from 2001 to 2003.
At club level he was in charge of his own club St Catherine’s at senior level in recent years and had taken over as Carrigtwohill senior boss at the start of this season. As a player he had a glittering record, winning senior All-Ireland hurling medals in 1986 and 1990 along with a senior football medal in 1989. However, in 1990 he controversially missed out on dual success when he was dropped from the Cork senior football panel before the All-Ireland decider against Meath.
He also enjoyed success at U-21 level, winning All-Ireland medals in 1985 and 1986.
Meanwhile current Waterford County Board chairman Tom Cunningham last night insisted that Denis Walsh displayed "all the skills necessary to be a top class manager" during his tenure at the helm of their senior football team. Cunningham, who was on the committee which appointed Walsh as football boss in 2001, described his selection as Cork hurling manager as "a great appointment".
"He was excellent. He was a great organiser and had great respect from the players. My only complaint was that he wasn’t here long enough."
So what set Walsh apart? Cunningham outlined two key aspects of his management that won him the support of the squad and the board.
"The players liked the training he did — he always varied it and made in interesting. The other thing was that his organisation was second to none, whether it was for training or on a match day. Those were the two main things that I would say about Denis. And I think those are two main things most players look for in a manager."
The former Waterford selector added: "He took on a huge task but showed then that he had all the skills necessary to be a top class manager. I was very sorry to see what happened to Gerald McCarthy down in Cork but I think it is a great appointment. We wish him well in the new role but hopefully not at the expense the Waterford hurlers."
Wexford manager and former Waterford footballer Jason Ryan never played under Walsh but that hasn’t lessened his respect for what the Cork man achieved.
Ryan said last night: "Unfortunately I was living and working in London when Denis was in charge. And that was a big pity. Any time his name was mentioned it was always in a positive light. He was really well liked by any of the Waterford footballers that had played under him and that still holds true today."
A press conference has been called for the Rochestown Park Hotel next Monday at 12.30pm at which Walsh will be presented to the media.
* Niall McCarthy will tonight learn his fate in Croke Park as he appeals the four-week suspension imposed on him, as a result of his red card against Clare last Sunday, to the Central Competitions Control Committee.
© Examiner Publications (Cork) Limited, City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 73385.
