Ex-Galway boss Kevin Walsh in line for Cork  football coaching role

Former Galway and Sligo manager in the frame to join John Cleary's management team in 2023

CORK-BOUND? Former Galway and Sligo football manager Kevin Walsh

Former Galway and Sligo manager Kevin Walsh is in line to join John Cleary’s Cork senior football set-up as coach in 2023.

The two-time All-Ireland winning former Galway midfielder (52) is close to agreeing a role alongside the Castlehaven man, who took over the senior manager’s role from Keith Ricken last season.

Walsh is highly regarded as a technical coach whose precision work on structure has been occasionally misinterpreted as overly-defensive. He managed his native county for five seasons up to 2019, winning two Connacht titles in 2016 and 2018. He began his inter-county managerial career in Sligo in 2008, where he remained until 2013 having won National League titles in 2009 (Division Four) and the following year (Division Three). 

Though he failed to land that elusive provincial title in Sligo, he did engineer wins over Mayo and Galway in 2010 and a win in Pearse Stadium over Galway two years later. His time there ended on a somewhat sour note when he was criticised by the likes of Eamonn O'Hara on RTE after Sligo were beaten by London in the Connacht championship of 2013. 

Nevertheless, his appointment would be regarded as a significant add to Cork's coaching ticket. Cleary has been on the lookout for a top coach since stepping up from that role himself with Cork earlier this year. He agreed a new three-year term as manager in July and since confirmed four selectors will remain as part of his management in 2023 – Mallow’s James Loughrey, Ray Keane of St Finbarr’s, Mícheál Ó Cróinín from Ballyvourney and Barry Corkery (Éire Óg).