KILDARE COUNTY BOARD have released a statement thanking former manager Kieran McGeeney after his six-year tenure in charge of the senior football team came to a close last night.
The County Board executive had thought to have been in support of the the former All-Ireland winner staying on in his role for another two-year term but a vote at their monthly county board meeting last night, in which some of the executive voted against his retention, ensured that Kildare will have a new manager for the 2014 season.
The statement released this morning reflected on McGeeney’s record of taking Kildare to five consecutive All-Ireland quarter-finals from 2008 to 2012 while also taking a swipe at “some dubious calls” made during the 2011 quarter-final defeat to Donegal, which still rankle within the county.
The statement went on to praise the “unprecedented level of professionalism” McGeeney brought to the county during his time in charge as well as his work to in “assisting fundraising and the negotiation of various sponsorship deals..”.
The Kildare GAA statement concluded by wishing him the best in the future and thanking the Armagh native for raising “both the standard and the profile of Kildare GAA”.
Below is the statement in full from the County Board. There will also be a brief statement from the players later today it was confirmed to TheScore.ie earlier today.
Kildare GAAKildare GAA would like to extend their thanks to Kieran McGeeney for his 6 years in charge of the senior football team. During this time the team appeared in 5 consecutive quarter-finals and one semi-final bringing huge enjoyment to Kildare supporters as the profile of football in the county grew considerably. There were many great days in Croke Park and while a Leinster title eluded us in 2009, few could forget the wonderful contest that was served up by Kildare and Dublin on the day. The team played an exciting brand of football which thrilled their supporters and brought great joy to the county as a whole. A fingertip save denied the Lilies an appearance in the 2010 All Ireland final, while some dubious calls in 2011 cost us another semi-final appearance.
Kieran McGeeney introduced an unprecedented level of professionalism to everything he did and he nstilled a great work ethic in his players during his six years in charge. He worked tirelessly throughout this time for the betterment of Kildare GAA, assisting in fundraising and the negotiation of various sponsorship deals, as well as liaising with the county coaching officers to put a structure in place that would help the county to achieve success down the line.
He brought a huge level of desire and passion to his role, while his honesty and integrity marked him out as a man who commanded huge respect from all who worked with him. He was served well during his 6 years by his different backroom teams, all of whom will have been enriched by their experience of working with him.
Kieran displayed a huge loyalty to his players and Kildare GAA throughout his 6 years in charge and he has undoubtedly made a great impression on all who soldiered under him. Many of these players were individually recognised by Leinster, International Rules and All Star selection committees during Kieran’s reign and they would undoubtedly acknowledge the huge role he played in them achieving those individual accolades.
Two O’Byrne Cup titles and a Division 2 National League may be the only silverware to show during his reign, but Kieran McGeeney has undoubtedly left Kildare football in a far better place than when he started and we thank him for all of his hard work and intelligent insight during his time in charge. He has raised both the standard and the profile of Kildare GAA and we wish him well in the future and trust that he will have fond memories of his 6 years in charge of the Lilies.