JAMES O’CONNOR, WHO has enjoyed huge managerial success at club level in Kilkenny and Cork, is set take over as county minor boss with his native Waterford.

The Waterford News have reported this evening that the appointment of O’Connor will be brought before the next county board meeting to be ratified by club delegates.

He is the choice to take over the Waterford minor team with Gavin O’Brien (Roanmore) and Seamus Hannon (Ballyduff Upper) joining him in the management team.

The four-man sub-committee of chairman Sean Michael O’Regan, county secretary Pat Flynn, Nemeton TV CEO Irial Mac Murchú and ex-Waterford forward Brian O’Halloran, chose O’Connor for the role.

The Lismore native captained the Waterford U21 team to Munster glory in 1994. Recently he has made his name as a brilliant club coach. In 2011 he steered outsiders Carrigtwohill to land the Cork senior hurling title. Later he won a county intermediate with Fr O’Neills in 2019, they went on to land the Munster championship at that level and only lost to Kilkenny’s Tullaroan in a classic encounter in the All-Ireland final in January 2020 in Croke Park.

O’Connor then took charge of Ballyhale Shamrocks, winning two county titles in his two seasons with the Kilkenny hurling giants. Last December they claimed the Leinster honours and only lost the All-Ireland decider last February when Ballygunner pounced for a dramatic injury-time goal.

Other roles have seen O’Connor at the helm of Waterford senior outfit Dungarvan and this year he was over Cork senior club Midleton.

It has also emerged that Michael Murphy from Fenor is set to over the Waterford minor footballers.