Sars and Erin’s Own name managers

FORMER Cork senior hurler Pat Ryan will manage his native Sarsfields next season.

Ryan’s appointment was ratified at the club’s AGM over the weekend and the 1999 Cork All-Ireland senior hurling winner has opted to step back from a playing role to concentrate on the management position.

Ryan, who also won an All-Ireland U21 medal with Cork in 1997, was part of the Sarsfields squad that won the county senior hurling title after a gap of 51 years in 2008 against Bride Rovers and also claimed the crown when they defeated Glen Rovers last year.

Ryan has accumulated coaching experience through his involvement with the Cork U14 hurling squad this season and at club level as he managed the Sarsfields U21 hurling side to divisional titles in 2009 and 2010.

Erin’s Own have also opted for a home-grown coach, the vastly experienced PJ Murphy back in charge after receiving the seal of approval at Thursday’s AGM.

He was at the helm for the last senior county title win in 2007 and was a player/selector in 1992 when the club won an historic first title.

He was also involved at inter-county level, at times with his first cousin Bertie Óg Murphy, from 1996 to 2000, an era when Cork won three Munster and two All-Ireland U21 titles.

Meanwhile former Clare All-Ireland winning selector Tony Considine will continue as manager of the Kilmallock hurlers.

Considine’s appointment was ratified at the club’s AGM oand will take charge of the south Limerick club for a third consecutive year. Considine enjoyed huge success in his first year last season when Kilmallock ended a 16-year wait for a senior hurling title in the final against divisional outfit Emmetts.

Their Munster Club championship ambitions ended in a semi-final defeat to Thurles Sarsfields and this season their hopes of retaining the Limerick title were dashed by Patrickswell in the last eight.