Kilcoyne on brink of London switch
The 2006 All-Ireland finalist is working in the English capital and has been contacted by manager Paul Coggins about declaring for the Exiles.
Under GAA rules, however, new recruits must play championship football for their club sides before being eligible to line out for the county team.
In practice, Kilcoyne would have to declare for a club and play for them to be eligible to compete in this year’s Allianz League. London fixture chiefs are in the process of arranging a round of championship games for late January meaning Kilcoyne could potentially be cleared for Division 4 League duty.
Coggins said he’s waiting for the 27-year-old, who kicked 1-6 in the 2006 All-Ireland U21 final win over Cork, to inform him if he’s going to take up the option of reviving his county career.
And in a double boost to the Exiles, Coggins may also be in a position to snap up former Carlow forward Ed Finnegan who is living in London and already attached to a club.
Kilcoyne’s addition would be particularly noteworthy as he was a highly rated player in Mayo who appeared as a sub in the 2006 All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry.
In 2009, after scoring three points against Meath in the All-Ireland quarter-final, he picked up a serious shoulder injury which eventually required surgery and sidelined him for much of 2010.
He was part of current boss James Horan’s League plans in 2011 before being surprisingly cut from the summer panel.
“I’m well aware of Aidan’s quality and he’d be a serious addition to London if he chooses to play with us,” said Coggins. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed but we’ll have to wait and see over the next couple of weeks.
“There’s such a turnover in London each year that the fact we have kept a relatively unchanged panel is probably of more significance.
“Sean McVeigh has gone back home and joined the Antrim panel. He’s a big loss but I’d say we’ve kept about 70% of the panel overall which is a big bonus.”
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