Galway ladies football rocked by Moynihan decision to step down

Date Published: 07-Jun-2012

CIARAN TIERNEY

LADIES football in the county has been plunged into turmoil just four weeks before Galway are due to take on Mayo in the Connacht final following the resignation of senior team manager Con Moynihan on Tuesday night.

It is understood that the veteran manager took the decision to step down after just 12 members of the senior panel turned up for training in Milltown. Moynihan’s decision also came in the wake of a heavy defeat to Mayo in the National Football League Division Two final last month.

Following that 4-17 to 2-7 hammering, four members of the panel left the squad. The departures of Edel Concannon, Sinead Burke, and 2010 All-Ireland minor winners Tracey Leonard and Becky Walsh came amid rumblings of discontent within the camp.

Established senior players such as Lorna Joyce and Emer Flaherty have not been involved with Galway all year and Moynihan’s sudden resignation causes all sorts of headaches for the Galway County Board in terms of appointing a successor before the July 8 showdown with Mayo.

Moynihan, one of the most respected managers in the county, had assembled a new panel for the 2012 campaign and seemed to be on the right course until the fallout from the 16-point defeat to Galway’s keenest rivals last month.

The Board released a brief statement on Wednesday morning, to confirm that the Newbridge man had resigned. “On behalf of the executive of the Galway Ladies Football Board, we wish to announce that Con Moynihan has resigned as manager of the Galway senior team. We would like to thank Con for the time and effort he put in as manager this year,” said the statement.

While not entirely unexpected, Moynihan’s decision has left the Ladies Football Board with little time to appoint a successor ahead of the ‘shot at nothing’ tie against strong favourites Mayo next month.

County Secretary Mary Hernon declined to speculate on the appointment of a successor and told Tribune Sport that the way in which Moynihan had been forced out of the job had made her question her own involvement with the Board.

“I am considering my own position, based on the fact that the timing of this decision is scuppering the entire set-up in Galway,” she said.

“Some of the criticism Con has endured has been unfair. He has managed the minor girls in Galway for the past four years and has a proven track record. I don’t think he would have been put in this position if we came within four or five points of Mayo in the League final.”

She said the situation was urgent as the Galway Ladies Football Board faced the possibility of a €5,000 fine and expulsion from next year’s championship if they fail to field a senior team in the Connacht final.