Maurice Fitzgerald and Darragh Ó Sé join Kerry management teams

Maurice Fitzgerald will join up with Marc Ó Sé's Kerry minor management.

TWO Kerry football greats have been added to the inter-county under age set up for 2027 - but senior manager Jack O'Connor will not be adding any new coaching expertise in the wake of Cian O'Neill's departure. 

A County Board meeting Tuesday night heard that Kingdom legend and ex-senior selector Maurice Fitzgerald will join up with Marc Ó Sé's Kerry minor management, while Darragh Ó Sé is set to formally join his brother, Tomás at Under 20 level.

The Board meeting also heard that Jack O’Connor will serve the final year of his two-year without coach Cian O’Neill, whose departure was first revealed two weeks ago by Examiner Sport. 

Though not confirmed, it is understood that  Kieran Donaghy will now help fill that role, Kerry chairman Patrick O’Sullivan said. 

James Costello, Aodhan MacGearailt and Pa McCarthy, will continue as O’Connor’s selectors. There are changes also to his backroom team, with Jason McGahan focusing on his day-to-day role as the county's 

high performance manager, collaborating with managers, coaches and service providers

head of athletic development. It is understood that Shane O’Rourke, who was the S&C coach for Dingle in their incredible All-Ireland Club success, will take over the S&C role with sole responsibility for the senior squad only.

O'Rourke is a Lecturer in Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences and Coaching and Sports Performance in MTU and is well regarded. He previously worked with the Kerry minor footballers and senior hurlers as well as the Clare senior footballers during Peter Keane’s time in charge.

All-Ireland U20 winning manager Tomás Ó Sé will also serve out the final year of his two year term, along with his selectors Mark Fitzgerald, Maurice Horan, Mike Frank Russell - with his brother Darragh formally added as a fourth selector.

Marc Ó Sé, despite a disappointing first campaign with a young minor group, continues but while his S&C coach Niall O’Mahony departs, Kerry and St Mary’s legend Maurice Fitzgerald returns as a coach and selector. 

Maurice was involved with the Kerry senior squad when he joined Eamonn Fitzmaurice for two seasons and remained to join Peter Keane from 2019-21. 

Kerry were well beaten by All-Ireland champions Cork in 2026 so Fitzgerald, who is principal of Caherciveen's Coláiste na Sceilge is seen as major coup for the minor set-up to work alongside selectors Ronan McAuliffe (Gneeveguilla), Noel Kennelly (Listowel Emmets) and Cathal Moriarty (Milltown/Castlemaine), with the possibility of a fifth selector being added.

Meanwhile, Kerry hurling manager John Tweek Griffin will remain in charge for one more year and while he retains his selectors, he is on the lookout for a coach as Shane Brick has departed the management that went under to Derry in this year’s Christy Ring Cup final.