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Eamonn Fitzmaurice is now in the hotseat in Kerry. INPHO/James Crombie.
Taking Over

Eamonn Fitzmaurice ratified as new Kerry manager

It has been confirmed tonight that the former defender will take over as senior football boss in the Kingdom.

THE KERRY COUNTY Board have tonight rubber-stamped the appointment of Eamonn Fitzmaurice as their county senior football manager for the next three years.

Fitzmaurice had been widely touted for the job to succeed Jack O’Connor, who stepped down in the wake of their All-Ireland senior football quarter-final defeat to Donegal.

His appointment has now been ratified for a term that will take him up until the end of the 2015 season but the identity of his selectors will not be revealed until the next county board meeting in the Kingdom in October. Seamus Moynihan and Mikey Sheehy are amongst the names being speculated as filling potential roles in Fitzmaurice’s back room team.

The decision means that Fitzmaurice will vacate his position as Kerry U21 football boss and former midfield great Darragh Ó Sé, a selector with Fitzmaurice for the U21′s this year, is to take the managerial reins in that grade for the next two years. An official press release by the Kerry county board tonight stated:

Kerry County Committee has tonight ratified Eamonn Fitzmaurice (Finuge) as Kerry Senior Team Manager for the next three years. Darragh Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht) has also been ratified as Kerry u21 Manager for the next two years with U21 selectors: Harry O’Neill (Dr. Crokes) , John Shanahan (Valentia) and Noel Kennelly (Listowel Emmetts). The Kerry Senior Team selectors will be announced at  the next County Committee meeting.

Fitzmaurice is a three-time All-Ireland senior football medal winner with Kerry in 2000, 2004 and 2006 and previously had won All-Ireland U21 football medals with Kerry in 1996 and 1998. At club level he has the unique record of winning a Cork SFC medal with UCC in 1999, a Kerry SFC medal with Feale Rangers in 2007 and three Kerry SHC medals with Lixnaw in 1999, 2005 and 2007.

A selector under Jack O’Connor in the Kerry team that won the All-Ireland senior title in 2009, Fitzmaurice subsequently made the step up to management with the county U21′s this year. He was also drafted in by O’Connor as a coach to the Kerry side midway through this season in the wake of Donie Buckley’s departure from the back room team but  their season ended in defeat at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage against Donegal.

Patrick Kelly: “Most people wouldn’t be fans of it but they’re revolutionizing tactics.”

Murph’s Sideline Cut: “Tomás Ó Sé said last week that you can’t train yourself for a match against Donegal – you have to experience it.”

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