Kenny’s resignation increases pressure on boss Cunningham

GALWAY senior hurling coach Mattie Kenny has unexpectedly stepped down from his role fuelling speculation as to the future of the rest of the management team, boss Anthony Cunningham and selector Tom Helebert.

Last weekend’s announcement comes in the wake of the Tribesmen’s exit at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage to Clare and, earlier this summer, a comprehensive defeat to Dublin in the Leinster decider. What prompted Kenny – and Kenny alone – to land the minor bombshell remains unclear.

However, the timing of the Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry man’s resignation couldn’t be more loaded, especially with the review process – that was to take place after Cunningham’s initial two years of his three-year term – having commenced in recent days.

While the findings of that review are not expected to be brought before the County Hurling Committee until next month, Hurling Chairman Joe Byrne had indicated last week that there would be a thorough investigation into why a team that had come so close to winning an All-Ireland senior title last year had failed to sparkle in 2013.

Meanwhile, it promises to be an extremely busy weekend on the inter-county front with a plethora of Galway teams in action. Mattie Murphy’s minor hurlers face Munster champions Limerick at Croke Park on Sunday (1:30pm) in what is an interesting All-Ireland semi-final pairing.

The victor of this clash will meet Waterford, who accounted for Leinster champions Kilkenny on a 2-12 to 0-16 scoreline last weekend, in the decider on Sunday, September 8.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.