Clifford leaves Cloyne to take over the helm at intermediate club Cobh

LAST season’s Cloyne senior hurling coach, Donal Clifford, has made a surprise move and will guide the fortunes of intermediate club Cobh for 2004.

Clifford led Cloyne to the county semi-final and came very close to shocking Blackrock. He was expected to give it another shot, but as he lives in Cobh, has agreed to help improve the lot of the Harbour club.

Cloyne will again be steered by the same selectors for next year and its expected that the coaching position will be filled from within.

There is speculation that former All-Ireland dual star Teddy McCarthy will step down as coach to the Sars senior hurlers.

McCarthy has been in charge for the last three seasons and brought the team to the county semi-final before losing out to the eventual champions, Newtownshandrum, in a replay.

Another East Cork club, Erin’s Own, have gone for a completely new look, appointing Waterford man Sean Prendergast as senior hurling coach, while club secretary Martin Bowen has been appointed team manager.

He is joined on the selection committee by three former players, Frank Horgan, Colman Dillon and Ray O’Connor, all members of the ’92 county winning team. Meanwhile former Footballer of the year Mickey Linden has retired from the inter-county game at the age of 40.

The legendary Down forward was instrumental in his county’s All-Ireland success of 1994, scoring his entire 0-17 total that season from play. He played inter-county football for 21 years, having made his senior debut in 1982, at the age of 18.

Four years later, he played in his first Ulster final and would play in six more provincial deciders, as well as in the Down side that captured the All-Ireland in 1991.

But, it will be for his heroics in 1994 that Linden will always be remembered, particularly setting James McCartan up for the decisive goal in the final against Dublin. Linden’s former manager Pete McGrath has returned to management with Louth side Cooley Kickhams.

McGrath had been offered the Louth job earlier this autumn, but declined it. Tyrone county secretary Dominic McCaughey has hailed the orchestrator of his county’s phenomenal success in 2003. Mickey Harte’s magical touch was the key element in the Red Hands’ spectacular breakthrough to win a first ever All-Ireland title last September.

McCaughey, in his report to next week’s county convention marvelled at Harte’s capacity for bringing a fresh and infectious enthusiasm to his players.

“By communicating with players he could transform the character of an individual, increase his motivation, inspire confidence and create leaders on the field of play, where in the past they were sadly lacking.”