THE NEW CORK senior ladies football manager is driving to Limerick when the phone rings. Joe Carroll is happy to have a quick chat en route to a match, where his UCC college team are in action this evening.
It has been a whirlwind few days, to say the least.
There was a county senior championship final defeat on Sunday. Carroll’s Éire Óg side lost their fourth consecutive decider. A free-kick shootout was required to separate themselves and Aghada.
Then on Monday night, news of his appointment to the Rebels hot-seat began filtering out.
“Delighted to get it and to get the opportunity,” Carroll tells The 42.
“Losing the county final with Éire Óg was terribly disappointing, the way we lost it as well. [The Cork job] was a bit of a boost and it has been a bit of a boost trying to get things organised as quick as we can before 1 December, it is only around the corner.
“We’re looking forward to it, I have a good management team and hopefully the thing will go well.”
The 2022 All-Ireland winning minor manager has assembled a stacked backroom as he succeeds Shane Ronayne at the helm.
From 10-time All-Ireland champion Valerie Mulcahy to Munster club winning manager James McCarthy, Carroll runs through the lot.
“I have brought in three of my own management that I had with me at minor level and they’re also with me in UCC: Ann Walsh (FLO), Tadgh Buckley and Anne O’Grady.
“Then I’ve James McCarthy, who needs no introduction to anybody. Castlehaven manager last year, when they won the county and Munster championships. Wealth of experience and a great football coach. I also have Valerie Mulcahy, who has huge knowledge for the girls as well, having been involved in it and winning so many All-Irelands with Cork.
“Brian McCarthy from West Cork — he’s heavily involved in ladies football for years and knows that the lie of the land hugely. Fionn O’Shea is coming in as high performance coach. Fionn is involved with several teams in Cork, he’s been involved at underage level with Cork GAA teams and he’s had a lot of success, especially with Castlehaven. Paul Cronin is coming in as well as S&C on the ground to assist Fionn, and Lisa Crowley from Éire Óg is our goalkeeping coach.”
The next few weeks will be hectic, with preparation and planning in full flow. Pitches and players must be organised, along with testing, training and meetings. There will be many more car journeys like the one Carroll is currently on. A long road ahead.
The management team’s collective familiarity with Cork ladies football is an immediate advantage, across the underage, club and college scenes. Six 2024 county panellists are starting for UCC in tonight’s game, Carroll notes, with others out injured.
“It’s going to be very, very busy, but when things settle down a small bit and we get our schedules made out, everybody will know where they are and hopefully it will be a small bit easier then,” he says.
“The league is early enough, in January, 26 January I think, that’s not that far away. You’re only back on the field on 1 December so it’s a short period of time.
“We have a lot, a lot of work to do.”
The Rockchapel clubman means that in a wider sense, too. Cork will operate in Division Two of the National League for the first time since 2003, and an immediate top-flight return is among the early goals set out.
Building the panel is another. Division Two football may be a disadvantage in one sense, Carroll says, but in terms of running the rule over players, it could be beneficial.
There’s no talk of All-Irelands on this call, but no doubt that will come. This is Cork ladies football, after all.
It’s step-by-step for now. League first, championship thereafter. And at this stage, pre-season above all else.
“One of our main focuses at the very start is aiming to get back up to Division One again,” Carroll concludes.
“We have to be careful, there’s a few very good teams down there as well. Galway, Donegal… we’re going to get nothing soft. But at the same time, hopefully it won’t be as hard maybe as playing Division One teams who are more seasoned than some of the teams in Division Two all the time.
“We look forward to that. We’ll take it game at a time and see what we can do.”
Deegan is probably closest like for like replacement for P O’Mahoney in the skill set he brings. Obviously has a lot more to prove to be considered in the same league as POM but if he can tie down 6 slot with Leinster , he could come into the reckoning for IRL. Early in his career, he showed he could perform at that level. Good player
@Michael Corkery: they are very, very different players when you take away the lineout skills
@Michael Corkery: a very competitive area, in both Leinster and Ireland, but then the irish lineout is a bit uncompetitive at the moment?
@adizlack93: I wouldn’t say so. Neither are very destructive ball carries like a Conan, Doris or Coombes or potentially Izuchukwu, fast over the ground and good at the breakdown/defence. And ability in lineout is a huge part of modern 6 game.
@Michael Corkery: it’s almost a pity JVDF is so good, then you could consider playing him at 7? I think POM’s best position at test level was openside, early doors anyway.
@Michael Corkery: Deegan is a very skilful and athletic ball carrier where POM is hard as nails and a and master of breakdown but not an athlete compared to other 6s
@adizlack93: POM would have been very athletic for most of his career but he didn’t have the density of a pure ball carrier like S O’Brien, D Wallace, Leamy etc. I’d say same now about Deegan v Conan, Doris etc. If we look at no 6’s , you have the hybrid lock types: Beirne, Baird, Izuchukwu,, Ahern, c. Prendergast. Deegan is much more a POM type BR forward than those lads. Sure they’re not identical but they’re definitely the closest in style of the current crop.
@Michael Corkery: an athletic 6 is Jerome Kaino, PSDT, Victor Vito, Stephen Ferris, Rocky Elsom. Not POM
@adizlack93: I think you’re mixing up athleticism and power. Or at least your definition of athletic is my definition of power. POM was very athletic, indeed that’s why he’s so good in the line-out. And Deegan is much more like POM than the guys you’ve mentioned.
@Michael Corkery: athletic ‘physically strong, fit and active’ Pom was and athletic openside, but not an athletic blindside?
@Michael Corkery: Deegan is a no 8 remember. He’s shifted to 6 because we have Doris and Conan. He is a ball carrier first and foremost and is adapting to blindside for his careers sake
@brian o’leary: I think argument about best position is another one. I was comparing our current options at n6 and saying Deegan was potentially the most like for like replacement for POM in that 6 role. But of course, IRL might decide they need a different profile in that role. A more powerful player like Baird or Izuchukwu .
@adizlack93: yes deegan can carry the ball and make meters
@adizlack93: true but I think he realized that he didn’t have the power of the likes of Conan and Doris but his relative lightness and dexterity could be a big advantage in the lineout. I think there’s also a misperception that PO’M wasn’t a good ball carrier. He was often used to carry out wide as he was better carrying in open spaces where his relative speed and handling could be used. Similar to Deegan now. PO’M has been used at 8 as well in Munster but definitely we get more out of him at 6 and I think Leinster will have similar thoughts about Deegan.
@Michael Corkery: would have Conan at 6 for Ireland on current form. His defence has really come on in recent years and ire have missed him. Also scope for Baird, Izzy Prendergast and Ahern
@adizlack93: I agree on form, he deserves to be in Irish XV. But with our lineout troubles at the moment, they might be tempted to go with a hybrid type 6 à la Baird, Beirne
Clearly a very different team selection policy at Leinster this year which appears to be helping.
Seems like the coaches have taken some feedback on board.
Interesting to see if it can be sustained for the whole season.
Deegan is an all round player, can play across the back line. Maybe this is his breakout season.
On a site note. Did anyone notice that one of the official sponsors, « Jaecoo » (whom I never heard of before yesterday) supplies cars to the Russian market! That’s from Wikipedia. Am I mistaken that there is an embargo against doing business with Russia and these guys are an official sponsor of the EPCR? Even if it wasn’t illegal should any company on a pure ethical basis be doing business with Russia? Should EPCR choose its partners better?
@Con Cussed: side note
@Con Cussed: absolutely not. Yes, EPCR should be more selective in their sponsorship but my guess they are desperate after allowing the French/English diminish the prestige of the competition into something of an afterthought for most teams
@Con Cussed: Embargo my a$$. Money talks and dirty money talks loudest of all. There are no such thing as morals when there’s a few bob to be made.
@Con Cussed: the company is Chinese, the EU or US can’t dictate who it does business with. As for ethics, Ireland did plenty of business with US companies when it was invading countries.
@John Buckley: Agreed, it wasn’t right then and it’s not right now. The fact that this is a Chinese company only makes it worse as they are supplying technology to the Russian’s.
@John Buckley: I think the point was about EPCR (a European entity) having a sponsor supporting a direct enemy of Europe. Nothing to do with what China does.
@Michael Corkery: The EU still gets gas from Russia. Should EPCR leave the EU because of this?
@John Buckley: much less gas than b4. And you can’t compare something like primary energy (which is a necessity) and sponsorship of a sporting event.
@Michael Corkery: Why does that matter, they still take gas. Employment is a necessity if you live in China, and it is being provided by this Chinese car manufacturer selling on the Russian market. Like others, you have no right to hold the moral high ground
@John Buckley: I think you intentionally or otherwise twisting my argument. I agree that China has no obligation vis a vis the west but honestly having one of your sponsors as a direct supporter of a declared enemy of the states in which you operate reeks of desperation or least a feckless disregard for where the money is coming from.
@Michael Corkery: Totally agree. Not sure where John is coming from, sounds like he doesn’t have any concern about human life. Another Ray unfortunately.
@Con Cussed: I think probably the real story is about the loss of visibility and status of the old H-Cup. Probably EPCR would have been fighting off wannabe sponsors. I guess now, they’ll probably feel they have to take the cash that’s offered and turn a blind eye.
@Con Cussed: No, I am just not joining your virtue signalling. The EU only put an embargo on what suits themselves, they still give loads of money to Russia. None of its citizens can lecture others.
Fully agree! All the vacuous, empty “values speak” and virtue signalling go out the window when money enters the room! Sickening!
@Eugene O’Curry: It brings the good name of rugby into disrepute. If we don’t have our morals, we have nothing!
I think Deegan has had to evolve his game into a more hybrid 6 as he doesn’t have the explosive power of Doris or Conan to play 8. He’s clearly focused on his lineout work, which could help propel him towards Irish reckoning. Although there is plenty of depth at blindside.
Definitely reckon there’s some clause about Snyman not starting in big European games ahead of Ryan or Mccarthy. For me, it’d be Ryan and Snyman with Mccarthy on bench, with Alan Spicer soon to arrive in the 23