O'Grady to manage Cork hurlers
The former St. Finbarrs star is believed to be choice of the County Board Executive and the understanding is that he will be recommended to the clubs for the position at the next meeting of delegates.
It's known that Gerald McCarthy wasn't interested in taking the job. And, while his name had been widely mentioned, there was never any likelihood that Jimmy Barry-Murphy would take over.
He opted out following the 2000 All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Offaly and it's known that he seriously considered giving up after the All-Ireland victory over Kilkenny the previous September.
O'Grady, a former St Finbarrs clubmate, is best known nowadays as the hurling analyst with TG4. He is principal of the North Monastery CBS, having taught in Youghal up to recently. While he has no experience of inter-county management at this level, he was previously a selector.
Back in 1986 he was part of the committee which guided Cork to victory over Galway in the All-Ireland final. Johnny Clifford managed the team, taking over from Justin McCarthy who had fallen out of favour with the executive after he had criticised Tipperary following the counties' Munster final meeting that season.
Another member of the committee at the time was Pat McDonnell, who was involved with Bertie Og Murphy this year and who resigned, along with John Meyler and P.J. Murphy, following player criticism.
O'Grady won All-Ireland club medals with St. Finbarrs in 1975 and 1978, as a half-back. He was first-choice full-back on the Cork team following Martin O'Doherty's emigration to the United States.
He played on the losing team in the 1983 All-Ireland final against Kilkenny excelling against Christy Heffernan, who had scored two goals in the previous year's final against O'Doherty and was a member of the team which defeated Offaly in the centenary final in Thurles.
His late father, Jimmy, was also a Cork selector in the seventies.
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