Former Mayo star Andy Moran named new Leitrim manager

14 August 2021; Former Mayo footballer Andy Moran in attendance at the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match between Dublin and Mayo at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Andy Moran has been appointed as the new Leitrim senior football manager.

Moran’s first senior inter-county managerial gig comes little over two years after he called time on his playing days in the Mayo shirt.

The 37-year-old will be joined on the sideline by fellow Ballaghaderreen clubman Mike Solan and former Leitrim players Barry McWeeney and James Glancy.

2017 footballer of the year Moran is currently co-managing his native Ballaghaderreen in a player-manager capacity. He also served as Mayo U20 coach last year, a team managed by Solan.

The new Leitrim management ticket, who take over from Terry Hyland, have been given a two-year term.

“Interesting to note that Andy Moran, Barry McWeeney, and James Glancy won a Sigerson Cup together with Sligo IT in 2005,” said a Letrim GAA statement confirming Moran’s appointment.

“We look forward to a year of progress, as we, hopefully, head into a playing season in which normality will have resumed, following the continued Covid pandemic disruption of the 2020/2021 playing seasons.” 

Leitrim were thumped by Mayo to the tune of 24 points in this year’s Connacht SFC. The county has not won a championship game since June of 2019.