Cunningham and Kenny battle for hurling post, but Walsh to be new football manager

THREE-time All-Star winner Kevin Walsh will be appointed as the new Galway football manager when the County Committee meet on Monday night, but the top managerial hurling position would still seem to be up for grabs between out-going boss Anthony Cunningham and his former coach, Mattie Kenny.

Hurling Secretary Pat Kearney confirmed this week that the selection process had been narrowed down to the former two sideline colleagues and that a final decision would be made by the selection committee in the next couple of days before this was brought to the Hurling Committee delegates for ratification.

However, the hurling delegates will need to convene before next Monday as the County Committee is due to assemble on that night to ratify the proposed candidates for the respective senior inter-county positions.

“I would expect we would meet before then,” said Kearney. “I said the first day we would have it (appointment of the senior hurling manager) on September 14 or 15. We are a fortnight late but I would now expect the manager to be appointed by next week. I don’t see any reason why not.”

Confirming that the selection process had whittled down the applicants from four to two – U-21 boss Johnny Kelly and former Galway selector Brendan Lynskey were the other candidates – Kearney outlined that a final decision on Cunningham or Kenny would be made later this week.

“The selection committee will select one and proposes one for nomination (to the hurling delegates),” continued the Hurling Secretary.

“The Chairman of the Hurling Board will be proposing one candidate then at the County Board meeting for the Galway senior hurling team and that will be that. We are not going to say anything else; only that I expect everything will be wrapped up on Monday night and we will be moving on.”

Meanwhile, it was confirmed last week that Tuam Stars’ Pete Warren – the only other candidate put forward alongside Kevin Walsh for the Galway football manager’s job – had withdrew from the selection process prior to the interviews taking place.

Following a meeting of the Galway Managers Selection Committee last Wednesday evening, it was decided to continue with the process and this would indicate that the Committee is happy to give their backing to Killanin native Walsh to succeed outgoing incumbent Alan Mulholland.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.