KEITH RICKEN HAS been confirmed as the new Cork senior football manager.
Ricken is set to succeed Ronan McCarthy, who had been in charge for the past four seasons.
The move comes after Ricken enjoyed huge success with the Cork U2o footballers in recent years, guiding them to Munster and All-Ireland glory in 2019, while also winning a provincial crown as manager this year.
Previously Ricken, a GAA Officer in MTU in Cork, helped his club St Vincent’s win county premier intermediate football titles in 2006 and 2012, while also managing the CIT hurling team that contested the Cork senior decider in 2011.
He is to be joined in his management team by Micheál Ó Cróinín (Naomh Abán), Ray Keane (MTU / St. Finbarr’s), James Loughrey (St. Brigid’s / Mallow), Barry Corkery (Éire Óg) and Des Cullinane (St. Nicholas).
Loughrey retired from intercounty football last winter, having lined out in defence for Cork since 2013 and previously for Antrim.
Keane, a brother of former Kerry boss Peter, managed St Finbarr’s to win the 2018 Cork senior football title. He previously worked as a selector for the CIT Sigerson Cup team while played football for his native St Mary’s Cahersiveen and divisional outfit South Kerry.
Ó Cróinín and Corkery have worked alongside Ricken on recent Cork U20 management teams. Naomh Abán club man Ó Cróinín was on the Cork senior side that reached the 1999 All-Ireland final while Corkery was performance coach for the Cork camogie team that contested last month’s All-Ireland decider, also being involved with Blackrock and Blarney for their county triumphs in Cork in 2020.
Cullinane has previously been involved with UCC Sigerson Cup teams while at club level he has managed St Nicholas footballers and has been a selector for the Glen Rovers senior hurling side.
The group will be hoping to revive Cork’s football fortunes after a disappointing 2021 campaign that saw them convincingly defeated in the Munster final in July by Kerry.
