Andy McEntee to take charge of Antrim in 2023

McEntee had been in charge of Meath from 2016 and led them to Leinster finals in 2018 and 2019, also bringing them back to Division One in 2019.

Former Meath player and manager Andy McEntee was ratified last night at an Antrim county committee meeting, held remotely to guard against rising Covid cases.

Antrim will have an All-Ireland winning coach in charge of their senior football team in 2023.

Former Meath player and manager Andy McEntee was ratified last night at a county committee meeting, held remotely to guard against rising Covid cases.

McEntee had been in charge of the Royal county from 2016 and led them to Leinster finals in 2018 and 2019, also bringing them back to Division One in 2019.

He replaces former Tyrone player Enda McGinley, who won promotion to Division Three in his first season in charge, and this year stabilised the Saffrons in the third tier.

It’s understood the players were keen on Stephen O’Neill to remain in some role of the management team, but the 2005 Footballer Of The Year was not keen.

The county executive recently advertised the post with a number of conditions attached to it, and qualifications deemed essential to the role of managing Antrim. 

And McEntee, who decided against seeking a third term as Meath manager, is the man they have settled on.

As manager of Ballyboden St Enda’s, he led the south Dublin club to All-Ireland glory in 2016.

McEntee recently opened up about the struggles involved in managing at that level and felt that the criticism that goes along with such a role was enough to put a candidate off.

“One of the problems with all of the social media attention is that it (inter-county management) is becoming less and less attractive unless of course you’re getting well paid for it,” he said. Yes, there are good days and the good days are great, but you have to weigh it up and think is it worth all of this? There’s an awful lot of lads both in club and county saying that the balance is wrong at the moment.” McEntee will announce his coaching ticket in due course, but there is a feeling that Sean Kelly of St Gall’s could be retained in the new set up.