Kerry to confirm minor and U20 management teams by the end of the month

COMING HOME? Kieran Donaghy recently stepped away from 2024 All-Ireland SFC champions Armagh after five years as forwards coach. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

The Kerry County Board are expected to confirm the county’s minor and U20 management teams by the end of the month.

Speculation is mounting the likes of Marc Ó Sé and Kieran Donaghy will be involved but in what guises remains unclear.

Ó Sé’s brother Tomás and Wayne Quillinan have been in charge of the U20s and minors respectively for the last three years. It is uncertain whether they wish to remain in their roles but aside from the Ó Sé family connection, Austin Stacks club-mates Quillinan and Donaghy are best friends.

Both Tomás Ó Sé and Quillinan received one-year extensions in August of last year. The U20s were defeated in an All-Ireland semi-final by Tyrone as were the minors in their final.

Donaghy recently stepped away from 2024 All-Ireland SFC champions Armagh after five years as forwards coach, while Marc Ó Sé has been at the helm of Listowel Emmets the past few seasons having previous guided Listry.

Peter Keane, who stepped down as Clare manager last month after one season, may also come into consideration for the U20 position. The former Kerry senior boss led the county to three consecutive minor All-Irelands prior to succeeding Éamonn Fitzmaurice in 2019.

Meanwhile, Mayo club Hollymount-Carramore have lost their case against the county’s decision not to uphold their objection against the result of their intermediate championship group game against Kilmaine last Friday week.

The referee had admitted he erred in awarding Kilmaine two points instead of one in the first half of the drawn game, which knocked Hollymount-Carramore out of the competition.

They lodged an objection to Mayo’s competitions control committee who allowed the result to stand as they deemed the referee had recorded the score correctly in accordance with the rulebook. Hollymount-Carramore brought the matter to the provincial hearings committee who uphold the county’s decision.

As things stand, Kilmaine will face Kilmeena in a IFC quarter-final on Saturday. Last week, the rules advisory committee wrote to counties informing them that referees failing to allow a score is not grounds for contest.

Their email read: “In light of queries received (in recent days) relating to potential objections to scores being awarded or not awarded in games which affect the outcome of the game, the Rules Advisory Committee would like to draw attention to the provisions of Rule 7.5, particularly 7.5 (n) (ii) regarding decision to an incorrectly recorded scored as distinct from the decision of the referee to allow or disallow a score: A Competition Control Committee must make decisions in accordance with the provisions of Rule 7.5."