O'Connor voted in as Kerry minor manager

Jack O'Connor is returning to inter-county management as the new Kerry minor football manager, it has been confirmed.

O'Connor has already had notable success with Kerry teams at higher levels - winning three All-Ireland senior titles (2004, 2006 and 2009) and an All-Ireland Under-21 Championship in 1998 - and the Kingdom's County Board now want him to bring through their next batch of underage talent.

The 52-year-old teacher is well used to winning trophies with teenage players, his managerial CV including All-Ireland Vocational Schools triumphs with Scoil Uí Chonaill and Choláiste na Sceilge, while more recently he has been involved with the county's two Under-16 development squads.

O'Connor stepped down as Kerry senior boss in August of last year, and reports in recent days had linked him with the vacant Kildare manager's position.

But his two-year appointment to the Kerry minor role last night was far from routine - in fact, for the first time in Kerry, they had to have a vote on the matter.

At the Kerry County Board's latest monthly meeting, the ratification of O'Connor - on recommendation of an executive sub-committee - was challenged by Kenmare club delegate Michael Carey and Tom Randles from Kilgarvan.

They objected to the appointment process and put forward their support for outgoing manager Mickey 'Ned' O'Sullivan whom, they felt, deserved to be reappointed.

O'Sullivan's tenure ended in August with the Kerry minors' All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Tyrone, who went on to be runners-up. In 2012, O'Sullivan's charges lost their semi-final against eventual champions Dublin.

Opinions were divided at the meeting and Kerry GAA Chairman Patrick O'Sullivan had to preside over an unprecedented vote on an amended proposal of O'Sullivan and the board's proposal of O'Connor.

The vote took place despite some delegates wanting it to be deferred in order for them to get a mandate from their clubs. In the end, O'Connor was ratified having won the vote by a 44-28 margin with 20 delegates opting to abstain.

Commenting on his appointment, O'Connor said: "I have coached nearly all grades at inter-county level and the minor grade was the one box that remained un-ticked.

"I am eagerly looking forward to the challenge as are John Galvin and Michéal O’Shea who are part of my management team."

Killarney man Galvin won an All Ireland Club SFC medal with Dr Crokes in 1992 and has been involved in coaching his club at all grades as well as guiding South Kerry to a senior county title.

O'Shea, who won an All-Ireland junior title with his club Castlegregory as recently as 2010, was involved with O'Connor when Choláiste na Sceilge won the Hogan Cup in 2009. Like Galvin, he has worked with one of the county's underage development squads in recent seasons.