Tribeswomen elect Glennon to drive senior team forward

FORMER Craughwell senior hurling manager Stephen Glennon has made the jump from the small ball to the big ball after being appointed as Galway senior ladies football team boss on a three-year term at a County Board meeting earlier this week.

While a number of candidates had initially been put forward for the position, Glennon, who was in charge of the Craughwell hurlers when they reached their first county senior final in over 80 years in 2015, was the candidate recommended to the County Board delegates by an interview panel.

The interview committee was headed up by board vice chairman Pat Gleeson and included former All-Ireland winning ladies football manager PJ Fahy and ex-Monaghan ladies All-Star Niamh Kindlon.

Glennon comes into the job with an extensive resume. In addition to having mentored a number of hurling and camogie teams in his adopted parish of Craughwell, he has also coached Athleague senior hurlers and Roscommon minor hurlers while also serving as a selector with the Galway senior hurling development squad – Maroon Stars – with Cyril Farrell and Damien Coleman in 2005.

In the past 14 years, he has also managed both the Roscommon and Galway intermediate camogie teams along with the GMIT camogie team.

Although much of his experience comes with working with teams in the small ball code, Glennon is unfazed about making the transition, having played football with his native Fuerty in Roscommon while also lining out for Palatine of Carlow and City outfit Fr. Griffin’s/Eire Óg during his playing days.

“We have an excellent management team put in place, with former Corofin and Galway defender Michael Comer heading up our strength and conditioning programme – he will also double up as our skills and backs coach – and he brings a wealth of experience to the set-up,” says Glennon, a sports journalist with the Connacht Tribune.

“Two others involved are Richard McNicholas of Annaghdown and Noel Kelly of Moycullen. Richard is currently with the Annaghdown ladies team who recently won the Connacht intermediate championship while Noel has played an integral part in the development of Moycullen ladies football club, one of the up and coming clubs in Galway in recent years,” says the new Galway manager.

Glennon, who qualified in Connacht GAA’s Strength and Conditioning (Level 1) programme under Roscommon footballer Cathal Cregg earlier this year, takes over the position from Willie Ward.

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