Lyons bows out as Boylan survives

TOMMY LYONS ended his stint as Dublin football manager in Parnell Park last night in the very same manner he entered it almost three years ago — head held high and with a smile.

But long serving Meath football manager Seán Boylan was last night voted in for a 23rd consecutive season in charge of the Royal County.

As endings go, for Lyons it was the polar opposite to the acrimonious departure of Tommy Carr in 2001, when Dublin chairman John Bailey's casting vote brought an end to Carr's tenure at the helm of the GAA's most high profile job.

The players had been summoned to the ground earlier in the evening to be informed, Chairman Bailey had been told the evening before, and the statement was prepared.

Lyons opened with a joke and it continued in that vein for the next 20 minutes. "It's a great honour for me to be here this evening. I'm delighted to be able to accept the new three-year term offered to me," he joked before getting down to the business at hand.

"It's three years that I certainly enjoyed immensely.

In fairness to the County Board, they were keen that we do another year. But I felt that three years was enough for any sane man.

"Ten of the team that started the last day were either U-21 or just over. These are very young men in the cauldron of Croke Park. It does take time to get used to it and I'm sure these men will deliver."

Lyons paid tribute to his selectors Dave Billings, Paddy Canning, and Paul Cassrey the players, and the back room staff before highlighting the county's success at U-21 level during his time in charge. Lyons also insisted that the possibility of staying on after the defeat to Kerry was always going to be "very unlikely."

With Lyons finally exiting the spotlight, the speculation over his replacement can now move centre stage. Brian Mullins, Brian Talty, Mick Galvin and Dessie Farrell have all seen their names bandied about already but Bailey insisted the matter had not yet been discussed by the County Board.

Meanwhile, in Meath, for the third year running, four-time winning All-Ireland manager Boylan defeated his former star pupil, Eamonn Barry, in a straight vote.

At last night's county board meeting in the Simonstown Gaels club grounds, Boylan won out by 50 votes to 37. But it was a day of controversy with Paul Kenny, a candidate known to have plenty of backing, joining Mattie Kerrigan in pulling out of the running.

That left Barry in a straight head to head with Boylan, having previously been defeated by 19 votes and 50 votes in the last two years.

As delegates were entering the building for the meeting, Barry distributed a letter alleging that Boylan had an unfair advantage.

The letter claimed that county chairman, Fintan Ginnity "has been actively canvassing for Seán Boylan in this contest."

Barry also requested that all clubs in county Meath be notified of this complaint and that a full investigation be carried out.

For Boylan it is likely that his thoughts quickly turned to the task of reinvigorating Meath after three years of disappointing defeats to Fermanagh (2003 and 2004) and Donegal (2002).