KILDARE RUBBERSTAMPED THE appointments of new senior football and hurling team managers at a county board meeting last night.
As expected, Lilywhite native Cian O’Neill has been installed as Jason Ryan’s successor in the football hot-seat, with Limerick’s Joe Quaid taking over the hurlers.
O’Neill is a highly-rated coach who was involved with the Tipperary senior hurlers in 2010 when they won the All-Ireland title, before he enjoyed successful stints with the Mayo and Kerry senior footballers.
The Moorefield native was part of the Eamonn Fitzmaurice backroom team in the Kingdom when All-Ireland senior football glory was annexed in 2014, and he was also involved this year.
Like O’Neill, former Allstar goalkeeper Quaid is taking his first steps into senior intercounty hurling management in his own right.
Quaid enjoyed a brilliant spell in charge of the Limerick camogie team, guiding them to an All-Ireland intermediate final in 2013 before going one step better a year later when they won the title.
In the process, Quaid restored Limerick as a senior force in camogie and they enjoyed a solid 2015 campaign, reaching the semi-finals of the National League before acquitting themselves well in the championship.
