Hayes 'will never manage again'

Former Meath midfielder Liam Hayes' recent reign as Carlow senior football manager will be his last in charge of an inter-county team.

Hayes confirmed his resignation after two years at the helm of the Barrowsiders earlier this week. His final game was a disappointing Tommy Murphy Cup defeat to Leitrim in Birr last Sunday.

The Skryne man, a noted journalist and publisher who is the founder and managing director of Gazette Group Newspapers, has admitted that he was giving the Carlow job "30 hours a week, when it required about 60 hours to be done properly".

He said: "I will never, ever take on a team again. The job (of managing Carlow) is as big as managing Meath or Donegal or whoever, and in many respects is even bigger."

Hayes sent a letter to Carlow County Board secretary Tommy O'Neill late last month to confirm his decision to step down.

“I’d decided (to resign) for a few weeks now and I had told some of the players who had rung me up and asked me directly,” he told the Carlow Nationalist.

“I absolutely underestimated the job but that’s life and you only know what you know at the time. It is twice as big as I envisaged and it remains twice as big.

“I wouldn’t have stuck the situation so long if I didn't believe there was a lot of talented and good guys in Carlow. It was a genuinely fantastic experience and I am very grateful to people in Carlow.

“The Carlow job is the one I wanted and I definitely won’t be going back into management.”

However Hayes revealed that he came up against some resistance when trying to piece together a panel for this season.

“This year alone, I asked ten guys to come in to the panel and they flat out refused. I cajoled and tried to persuade them but they wouldn't come in for one night even - that makes it very difficult," he added.

Brothers Mick and Seán Dempsey are thought to be in the running for the Carlow position - Mick led O'Hanrahan's to the Leinster title and Seán is the current Laois Under-21 manager - while the Carlow connections of former Offaly manager Paul O'Kelly could see him come into contention.

Old Leighlin favourite Johnny Nevin and current Éire Óg boss Turlough O'Brien are also possibles.