Cathal Murray 'disappointed' at having to reapply for Galway camogie manager job

Murray did confirm that he wishes to continue in the role and so will reapply for the job he has held since midway through the 2018 campaign

Galway Manager Cathal Murray celebrates with Mairead Dillion and Ciara Hickey after the their All-Ireland final victory. File picture: Ben Brady/Inpho

Galway’s All-Ireland winning camogie manager Cathal Murray feels disrespected at having to reapply for the job, but has confirmed his desire to remain in the role.

Three months after leading Galway to a third All-Ireland on his watch, the Galway Camogie Board have emailed clubs in the county inviting expressions of interest for Murray’s senior manager post.

The board executive has stated they are simply following agreed internal procedures in inviting applications for the post, given Murray’s latest term is up.

Murray, who has expressed disappointment at how the process has been handled, did confirm that he wishes to continue in the role and so will reapply for the job he has held since midway through the 2018 campaign. He insisted he will not “throw the toys out of the pram” in refusing to engage with the process.

Murray’s overseeing of All-Ireland final victories in 2019, ‘21, and ‘25 makes him Galway’s most successful ever camogie manager, bettering the two titles — the maiden 1996 win and 2013 — masterminded by Tony Ward. He also guided the Galway U23s to this year’s inaugural crown.

“It is out for expressions of interest. A small little bit disappointed about that, with the communication around that. We have put a lot of work in over the last seven years. Anyone that has seven years done in a job and then is asked to interview, that is something we’d be a small bit disappointed about,” Murray told Galway Bay FM.

“We have put in a lot of work, there is only two years there where we didn’t have two teams. The first four years, 2019-22, we were double-training with the seniors and intermediates. This year, we did the same with the U23s.

“You do that because that’s what you want to do. I feel your senior manager has to be hands on in them development squads, and watching them players and coaching them players coming through.

“I think that is very important but maybe that respect you get for that probably wasn’t there. But at the same time, it is a senior county job. If the county board decide that you have to interview if you want it, I am not going to throw the toys out of the pram either.

“I’ve spoken with the management, and we’ve decided that we are happy to go back. We’re happy to give it another year or two. I am not going to throw the toys out of the pram. If there is an interview has to be done, I’m happy to do that and we’ll go from there.”

Irrespective of challengers, Murray is expected to be reappointed as manager for 2026. August's 1-14 to 1-13 final win over 14-woman Cork was a stunning reversal of the 11-point League final defeat they suffered to Cork four months earlier.