KILKENNY AND DUBLIN All-Ireland winning coaches, Mick Dempsey and Jason Sherlock, are both of a new group that has been established by GAA President John Horan to look at GAA youth development.
The panel is set to review the youth/player development pathway at inter-county level and its relationship with clubs, post-primary schools and third-level institutions.
Former Laois footballer Dempsey, who has played a major role in the Kilkenny hurling success story under Brian Cody and coached them to win multiple All-Ireland crowns, is to chair the new group with ex-Cork camogie player Jenny Duffy set to act as secretary.
Sherlock, who was involved in steering Dublin to a fourth consecutive All-Ireland senior triumph last month, is also a part of the group along with a duo that recent county managerial experience in Cork’s Brian Cuthbert and Roscommon’s Fergal O’Donnell.
Hurling figures represented on the panel include Clare’s two-time All-Ireland senior winner Jamesie O’Connor and Galway’s Jeffrey Lynskey, who has guided his county to three All-Ireland minor title wins in the last four years.
The focus of the group is to ensure that best practice is being followed in developing talented young players from U13 to U20 grades in both football and hurling. It is expected to recommend that there is a club centred approach, that an elitist mindset is not created and that player welfare is prioritised.
The group will hope to have a draft report ready before the end of this year and then propose recommendations to the GAA’s Games Development Committee.
GAA’s Talent Academy & Player Development Work Group
- Michael Dempsey (Chairman, Laois)
- Jenny Duffy (Secretary, Cork)
- Jeffrey Lynskey (Galway)
- Jason Sherlock (Dublin)
- Shane Flanagan (Leinster GAA, Kildare)
- Dr. Eugene Young (Ulster GAA, Derry)
- Ray O’Brien (Third Level, Kerry)
- Garrett Coyle (Ulster Post-Primary Schools, Monaghan)
- Brian Cuthbert (Cork)
- Fergal O’Donnell (Roscommon)
- Jamesie O’Connor (Clare)
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