Ronan McCarthy out: So who’s next for the Cork football hot seat?

Macroom's O'Dwyer seen as a strong candidate, but would Cork consider going outside the county on this occasion?

Favourite? Macroom's Bobbie O’Dwyer

The executive of Cork GAA has decided that Ronan McCarthy will not see out the final year of his term in 2022 as Cork football manager. 

They, along with the county’s director of football, Conor Counihan, will now accelerate the process of replacing the Douglas man. As a general policy, Cork looks to promote from within and via lines of succession. 

The county will play in a very competitive Division 2 football next season against the likes of Galway, Roscommon, Derry, Clare, Down, Derry, Meath and Offaly, where Tomás Ó Se will be coaching against them. However, a revised Championship format, to be decided on this autumn, may assist progress for the new manager in terms of removing them from a provincial strait-jacket. 

Potential contenders are:

Bobbie O’Dwyer (Macroom).

A bank manager by profession, O’Dwyer must be regarded as a prime candidate to become Cork’s fifth manager in nine years. Guided Cork minors to 2019 All-Ireland success and joined Ronan McCarthy’s management team this season, just as McCarthy himself had been a selector under Conor Counihan and Brian Cuthbert. Easy-going by nature, O’Dwyer has also coached in Kerry with Legion and is a strong advocate of giving under-age talent their head. Well regarded.

John Fintan Daly (Knocknagree).

No longer perceived as a ‘left-field’ choice, the Knocknagree man has led his small Duhallow club to an All-Ireland Junior football title in 2018 and has continued to guide them up through the grades in Cork. After last year’s victory in the Premier IFC grade, they made their debut in Cork’s Senior A championship last weekend, defeating Duhallow neighbours, Kiskeam. 

Knock knock: John Fintan Daly, from Knocknagree.

A solicitor based in Kanturk, Daly was interviewed for the position in 2018 but his case is stronger now and more difficult to dismiss.

Keith Ricken (St Vincent’s/Cork IT).

Guided Cork to a thrilling 2019 All-Ireland U20 football title against Dublin, and another Munster title in the same age-grade against Declan O’Sullivan’s Kerry in July of this year.

People person: Cork U20 manager Keith Ricken.

Very much from the holistic school of management – people first, players second – and is a worthy candidate, but is said to be uninterested in the step up to the senior role.

Ephie Fitzgerald (Nemo Rangers).

The Cork Ladies Football manager has enjoyed a very successful club career with Nemo as player and manager, where he managed the city club to four in a row from 2005. Has coached inter-county in Limerick (where he also led Ballylanders to a county title) and Clare alongside Colm Collins. His club colleague Sean Hayes has been a successful Cork U21 manager and a senior selector with Ronan McCarthy but is unlikely to be interested.

John Cleary (Castlehaven).

A name that always crops up when the Cork senior manager’s position is up for grabs. Has been coaching his native Castlehaven, alongside manager James McCarthy, who were beaten in the 2020 Premier SFC final less than two weeks ago by Nemo. Before that, had a successful stint as Cork Ladies Football minor manager. More unlikely than likely that he would go forward at this stage.

An outsider?

Each time the Cork managerial reins come up for grabs, it’s a perennial question: is the Board ready to go outside the county for a new manager. It will not be lost on some Cork followers that three-time All-Ireland winning Kerry manager Jack O’Connor stepped down this week from his position as Kildare manager. If a Kerry person is too great a political and psychological leap, Jim McGuinness would be a statement appointment. Outgoing coach Cian O’Neill is a former Kerry coach and Kildare manager but is not in the running for the Cork post.