MAYO LADIES FOOTBALL manager Peter Leahy will remain in charge until 2021.
The42 understands that Westmeath native Leahy was confirmed for the top job once again at the Mayo LGFA county board meeting on Tuesday night.
Leahy’s name was proposed, seconded and unanimously voted as Mayo ladies football manager for the foreseeable future, following his first year as manager in 2018.
He took the reins from Frank Browne — who was this week confirmed as the new Dublin camogie manager — after working under him as coach as the Westerners reached the All-Ireland final last September.
This year’s All-Ireland championship didn’t run quite as smoothly, with in-county controversy marring their campaign as 12 players and two members of Leahy’s management team departed the panel citing ‘player welfare issues’.
Captain Sarah Tierney, vice-captain Fiona McHale and 11-time All-Star Cora Staunton were among those to leave, while the remaining squad battled on to reach the All-Ireland quarter-final.
The saga dominated the ladies football agenda for weeks on end, before Leahy called for an end to proceedings in late September on this website.
In doing so, he confirmed his intentions to remain in charge for 2019 and said that the door is not closed on those who have left the panel to return to the Mayo squad in the future.
Star forward Sarah Rowe, who this week moved to Australia for a stint with Collingwood in the AFLW, re-iterated her manager’s sentiments saying that herself and her team-mates ‘want the best for Mayo’.
Leahy and his charges, who finished runners-up in Division 1 of the Lidl Ladies National League and Connacht championship in 2018, will now look to drive on and do their talking on the pitch in 2019.
Aside from his involvement with Mayo, Leahy has no shortage of experience of working with teams — not only in Gaelic games.
He led the Westmeath ladies to Leinster and intermediate success in 2011 as joint-manager, defeating Cavan in the All-Ireland decider following a replay.
Leahy also took charge of the Westmeath minor football panel in 2016 and was a member of Michael Ryan’s backroom team with the Westmeath senior hurlers in 2015.
He played rugby at a high level in his younger years before making the transition into coaching — he was head coach of Mullingar RFC — completing a degree in strength and conditioning and now works in sports science.
Subscribe to our new podcast, Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42, here:
