Walsh is new football boss as Cunningham’s reign extended with hurlers

NEW Galway football manager Kevin Walsh is to trawl through the county’s junior and intermediate clubs in his search for new talent while reappointed hurling boss Anthony Cunningham’s mission for 2015 is to find that percentage which will thrust his side over the line in big championship outings.

Walsh and Cunningham were unanimously ratified by the County Committee earlier this week and both men, speaking to Tribune Sport, seem eager to get down to work as quickly as possible and set the wheels in motion on what, they hope, will be successful campaigns next year.

That said, three-time All-Star winner Walsh, who won All-Ireland titles as a player in 1998 and 2001, said that while he was naturally honoured and excited at the job of managing Galway he was also well aware of the scale of the challenge facing him.

“These are early days but one message I want to get out there is that I want to extend the net in terms of looking for players who could make it at county senior level,” stressed Walsh.

“That in itself is a big task but we want to spread the net to look at players involved with intermediate and junior clubs too. There is a lot of football talent in Galway and I want to make sure that we don’t miss out on anyone, just because they might be involved with intermediate or junior clubs.” (See full interview inside).

Despite coming under intense competition from other candidates within the county, including his former coach Mattie Kenny, Anthony Cunningham’s bid to remain on as Galway senior hurling manager for a fourth year received the backing of the County Committee on Monday night.

Cunningham, who has added former team-mate Pat Malone to his backroom team, was delighted to be endorsed for another campaign. “Absolutely,” said the St. Thomas’ man. “It is a two-year term with a review after the first year. So, I am absolutely delighted.”

Understandably, disappointed in the manner in which the Tribesmen exited the championship to All-Ireland finalists Tipperary – a side which they led by six points, 4-12 to 1-15, midway through the second half of their All-Ireland qualifier – Cunningham believed his charges were very close to success in 2014.

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