O’Rourke heads Meath nominations

Colm O’Rourke is among the nominations put forward for the Meath job.

With a deadline for nominations from the clubs closing yesterday, the former International Rules manager has been backed, as have Seamus McEnaney’s former selectors Graham Geraghty and Liam Harnan as well as Gerry McEntee and Sean Kelly.

The county board executive will officially reveal the names of the nominees next week after which a sub-committee will take the next step of interviewing candidates willing to put forward their name for the position.

O’Rourke has been nominated before only to then pull out of the race. However, there is a belief in Meath football circles that he may be about to throw his hat in the ring with his former team-mate McEntee, successful in Dublin with St Brigid’s last season, joining the ticket.

One county executive official said there would be enough support for O’Rourke were he to make himself available to succeed McEnaney.

If O’Rourke withdraws his candidacy, Harnan and Geraghty, who is believed to have outgoing coach and former Tipperary boss John Evans as part of his backroom team, would fancy their chances, with the latter having lobbied hard for the position in recent weeks.

Harnan garnered a lot of sympathy from club representatives last year when he and Barry O’Callaghan quit in protest at McEnaney’s management. However, Geraghty would be seen as a continuity choice given his work with the team over the last two seasons.

Kelly, who trained the panel during Eamonn O’Brien’s last season in charge in 2010, is regarded as a less controversial candidate than Harnan or Geraghty.

Two years ago, the players were keen that McEnaney be given the position and it is understood O’Rourke is the favoured choice among several of them now.

The Meath executive intend to have a recommendation ready for ratification at the October meeting.