ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS Cork have named Ephie Fitzgerald as Eamonn Ryan’s successor.
Ryan, who oversaw 26 titles — including ten senior All-Irelands — during his reign as Cork ladies football coach from 2004 to 2015, announced his departure in late December, having opted to take up a role as a selector with Peader Healy’s Cork men’s footballers.
Fitzgerald was ratified as Ryan’s successor at a GPC meeting of the Cork Ladies Football Board late last night, following a gruelling search which took four weeks, and involved a number of other potential candidates.
Speaking following the announcement, PRO of the Cork Ladies Football Board Pat Culloty said:
These are exciting times for everyone involved and we all have high hopes and expectations. There’s a busy few months ahead with the league starting on Sunday, but we wish Ephie all the best and we look forward to working with him.”
A former Nemo Rangers player, this is the first time Fitzgerald has served at the helm of a senior inter-county ladies football team, and it is expected that he will meet with the squad in the coming days ahead of their Division 1 National League opener against Mayo on Leeside this Sunday.
It is not yet known how his backroom team will shape up, but it is anticipated that a number of the 2015 Cork ladies football management team will remain involved to ensure a smooth transition.
Last Saturday, 2014/2015 Cork senior selector and Mourneabbey coach Shane Ronayne — who put his name forward for the position early on — pulled out of the running for the job, stating that he was “disillusioned with the protracted and long drawn-out process”.
However, it is hoped that the senior county champions Mourneabbey will put forward a nominee to join Fitzgerald’s 2016 backroom team.
Fitzgerald, aged 55, guided Nemo Rangers, and Ballylanders of Limerick, to county championship success, while at inter-county level he has served as manager of the Cork minor men’s team and coach of the Limerick senior team, while more recently he was a selector with the Clare senior football team.
It is not yet known how many players of the 2015 All-Ireland-winning squad will remain, but they will definitely be without the services of Allstar defender Geraldine O’Flynn for the league campaign, having damaged her cruciate in the 2015 All-Ireland final against Dublin last September.
As to whether there will be any high-profile retirements in the coming weeks is not yet confirmed, but it is expected that one or two players will make statements in the near future.