Kidney takes award after ‘special’ year

BY THE time you read this, Declan Kidney will have filed away the memories and moved on to the next item on his checklist, but the current Irish coach did take 10 minutes to reminisce on a dream year that yesterday resulted in him being named Philips Manager of the Year.

Winner of the award two years ago, he finished top of the queue again for 2008, in what was one of the tightest votes in the scheme’s 26-year history, thanks to Munster’s successful navigation through the most hazardous of routes to Heineken Cup success.

In claiming the prize, he saw off the claims of Billy Walsh, coach to an Irish Olympic boxing team that delivered three medals, and Brian Cody who guided Kilkenny to an historic third All-Ireland hurling title in a row. The rest of the field was no less qualified.