Corrigan blasts ‘sad and pathetic’ Sligo GAA chiefs

AXED Sligo manager Dom Corrigan has lashed his county board and accused them of ‘shafting’ him with ‘ambush’ tactics.

Fermanagh native Corrigan is furious about the manner of his sacking which was relayed to him moments before county training was due to begin on Tuesday night.

Corrigan claimed that he first became suspicious when his players failed to show for a training session in Kevinsfort.

He said that they were, in fact, in the dressing-room of the nearby St Mary’s GAA club, where he went to find them.

Before he could reach them, Mr Corrigan claims he was confronted by two men, including county chairman John Murphy, in the car park.

Corrigan said the men jumped from a van like ‘vigilantes’ before ushering him into a side room and formally sacking him.

Corrigan took to the local airwaves yesterday morning and singled out Murphy for particular criticism.

He said he felt that Murphy had an obvious bone to pick following the sacking of previous boss James Kearins in 2004, which made way for Corrigan.

Murphy had been a selector on that management team before taking up the position of county Chairman last December.

Corrigan reiterated those sentiments last night and added that Murphy behaved coldly around him.

It is thought that Sligo’s defeat to an unfancied Waterford in Div 2B of the Allianz league, on Sunday, following an opening day loss to Tipperary, was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Corrigan, however, feels that his sacking was the result of a pre-meditated decision, leading to Tuesday night’s events.

“I don’t believe that the loss to Waterford was at the root of this,” he said.

“As far as I know they’re hoping to announce a new management team at training on Friday night. Now how could they know their new management team a matter of hours after I was sacked?”

In general, Corrigan said he enjoyed his time in Sligo, during which he made significant strides with the county’s U-21 and junior teams.

He also noted that they won three senior championship games before going down to Cork last summer.

More recently, Sligo beat Galway in the FBD League to gain first blood ahead of their championship meeting next May.

“I just felt that I was shown absolutely no respect or decency in the way I was let go,” he added.

“I thought the way they acted was sad and pathetic. All it required was a phone call to me during the afternoon to allow me to cancel training. Then I could have met them and outlined my position after a bit of thought.

“But they acted like vigilantes in the way they did it all.

“I didn’t even get a chance to talk with the players because I was so shocked at it.”