Willie Maher now the leading contender to take over as Tipperary hurling manager

It remains to be seen who Maher brings on board with him if he is offered the role to succeed Liam Sheedy as Tipperary hurling manager

Then Cuala manager Willie Maher addressing his players before the Dublin County Senior AHC quarter-final against St Brigid’s at Parnell Park. Maher is the leading contender to succeed Liam Sheedy as Tipperary senior hurling manager. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Willie Maher is now considered the leading contender to succeed Liam Sheedy as Tipperary senior hurling manager.

The Ballingarry man, who guided the county minors to an All-Ireland title in 2012, was a selector to Derek McGrath in his first season in charge of Waterford prior to taking over the Tipperary U21s for two seasons. He later managed Cuala to two senior Dublin titles in 2019 and last year.

Maher, who works in Kilkenny, is currently part of the Bennettsbridge management team who enjoyed a league win over Ballyhale Shamrocks this past weekend. He was an early favourite for the Tipperary role when Michael Ryan stepped down in 2018 before Liam Cahill spoke to the board and Sheedy was later appointed.

It remains to be seen who Maher brings on board with him if he is offered the role. Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams’s Brian Horgan has worked as coach with Maher with the minors and Cuala. Horgan, who was part of Michael Ryan’s backroom team when they won the 2016 All-Ireland title, has also coached the likes of Doon, Templederry Kenyons and Kerry and is currently managing Nenagh Éire Óg.

Tipperary goalkeeping legend Brendan Cummins has been strongly linked with the U20 position and it is expected he will replace John Devane, with former Kerry manager Fintan O’Connor coming on board as part of his management team.

O’Connor, who had Cummins as part of his own group for a period in the Kingdom, lives in Ardfinnan.

Meanwhile, Galway will begin accepting nominations for the position of senior hurling manager in the next couple of days. It is expected clubs will be given until the end of next week to return with proposed names, while county board officials will also be allowed to put forward recommendations.

Galway are hoping to name Shane O’Neill’s successor by October 1.

Their 2017 All-Ireland winning manager Micheál Donoghue, his selector Francis Forde, who is currently working with Laois, and Davy Fitzgerald are among the leading candidates.

Galway are also seeking an U20 manager after the decision of Jeff Lynskey to step down in the wake of the All-Ireland final defeat to Cork last month. Current minor manager and former Westmeath boss Brian Hanley is the frontrunner for the position.

Although there is strong support for a native appointment having gone outside the county for Shane O’Neill, Fitzgerald is believed to have backing among a number of clubs.

However, it is not certain he will allow his name to go forward should he be nominated to take over.

Elsewhere, Kerry could soon be in a position to name O’Connor’s successor in the coming days.

A shortlist of Seoirse Bulfin, Tom Kingston and Stephen Molumphy are understood to have been interviewed for the role the weekend before last.

Bruff man Bulfin has been an assistant to Davy Fitzgerald in Waterford, Clare and Wexford while Kingston has guided UCC to winning back-to-back Fitzgibbon Cup crowns.

Ex-Waterford captain Molumphy was a selector in Wexford under Fitzgerald in 2019 and in his native county under Cahill last season before stepping down due to work commitments.