POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS in the little room beneath the main stand in Navan’s Páirc Tailteann tend to follow a particular pattern.
The local radio reporter is typically first up with questions for the Meath manager. Next are the local print reporters followed by any national media that may be in attendance. A lot of the time, the press people are standing up.
So when county chairman Jason Plunkett came in and insisted on everyone sitting down for yesterday’s press conference after the Leinster senior championship defeat of Carlow, it felt like significant news was incoming.
It was also the first time anyone could remember that a Meath manager had been joined by a county official for post match press duties.
At the very least, an explanation for why Joe McMahon and Martin Corey, regarded as two of the top coaches in Gaelic football, had departed their positions on the eve of the championship was anticipated.
It didn’t arrive though and when Plunkett did speak, it was to block a reporter who’d attempted to quiz manager Robbie Brennan a little longer than was apparently acceptable about the coaching situation.
Earlier, Brennan had complimented his former coaches, describing them as ‘brilliant guys’ and ‘brilliant coaches’, but given no details on why they left, responding, ‘no, not really’ when asked if he could shed any light on it.
Later, when a second reporter probed further, Plunkett intervened.
“Robbie has clarified,” said Plunkett. “They left. We accepted that they’ve gone and I think we just draw a line under it now and put it to bed.”
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Meath’s Matthew Costello with Paddy McDonnell of Carlow. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Only there wasn’t any clarification at all. And the rumours that swept the Royal County all last week about why the Ulster duo departed will continue this week ahead of the team’s return to Navan to play in-form Offaly in a Leinster quarter-final on Sunday.
Mickey Harte’s involvement with Offaly will bring a unique element to the game but it will hardly feel as surreal as yesterday’s provincial opener.
Because while Meath supporters were playing guessing games about exactly what’s going on with their backroom team, Carlow fans were trying to get their heads around their own managerial crisis.
Meath at least have a manager in Brennan who has been there since the start of pre-season – Joe Murphy is only just in the door with Carlow.
It was a baptism of fire for him too as the game was as good as over at half-time when Meath led by 0-22 to 0-5. Even in this era of two-pointers and large deficits being quickly eroded, the Division 4 outfit weren’t coming back from that one.
Éire Óg man Murphy took over from Shane Curran with ‘player related issues’ cited as the reason for the former Roscommon goalkeeper’s exit. The players themselves hit back, outlining their ‘persistent concerns with the overall organisation and training environment throughout the league’.
It is an even messier situation than Meath’s, and Carlow are still working through it all. Murphy, who had to quit his position as manager of Kildare champions Naas to take the inter-county position on an interim basis, acknowledged after yesterday’s game that they ‘got no work done really’ last week.
“It was just regrouping and learning names actually,” he said. “Today was an accurate reflection of where we are.”
The Carlow players take to the field. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
At least Carlow have snagged a man who feels that he is ‘the right man at the right time in the right place’ for his county and who has a full backroom team in place. James Clarke, Michael Kehoe and Dominic Mulligan will be assisting him.
Truth be told, Sunday’s Round 1 encounter in Navan would probably have still ended up in a significant Meath win regardless of the coaching upheaval in both camps. There are 17 league places between the Division 2 and Division 4 teams.
The real intrigue will be in what impact the messy championship buildup has on the two counties in the coming weeks. Carlow have five weeks to prepare for the Tailteann Cup, a competition they can genuinely strive to be successful in.
Meath have little time to prepare for their next outing and with injuries also an issue in the camp – Michael Murphy, Jack Kinlough and Eoin Harkin suffered fresh setbacks on Sunday.
Ex-captain Ronan Jones and leading forward Jordan Morris were already out – it could be a long afternoon against the Division 3 winners.
Back in Sunday’s press briefing, after Plunkett had finished speaking and made it clear there could be no more questions on the coaching situation, there was a lengthy pause.
The 42 broke the silence by querying Brennan’s earlier suggestion that Offaly would be ‘favourites’ this weekend.
Brennan smiled, an easy question at last.
Meath manager Robbie Brennan. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“Yeah, I do, and there is no Kerry cute hoorism going on there,” he maintained. “If you were in Croke Park (for the Division 3 final) you could feel that momentum behind their team, and with Declan Kelly and Mickey there, there is a real buzz about them. They remind me of the Offaly team under Tommy Lyons that beat Meath unfortunately, in 1997.”
Meath were reigning All-Ireland champions at the time and, two years later, would take the Sam Maguire Cup again.
Sean Boylan was manager back then and was among the 3,347 at the game on Sunday as Brennan, a neighbour from Dunboyne, pulled on the bainisteoir bib and accepted all the pressure that goes with it these days.
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'We accepted that they've gone' - Meath and Carlow battle with managerial crises
POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS in the little room beneath the main stand in Navan’s Páirc Tailteann tend to follow a particular pattern.
The local radio reporter is typically first up with questions for the Meath manager. Next are the local print reporters followed by any national media that may be in attendance. A lot of the time, the press people are standing up.
So when county chairman Jason Plunkett came in and insisted on everyone sitting down for yesterday’s press conference after the Leinster senior championship defeat of Carlow, it felt like significant news was incoming.
It was also the first time anyone could remember that a Meath manager had been joined by a county official for post match press duties.
At the very least, an explanation for why Joe McMahon and Martin Corey, regarded as two of the top coaches in Gaelic football, had departed their positions on the eve of the championship was anticipated.
It didn’t arrive though and when Plunkett did speak, it was to block a reporter who’d attempted to quiz manager Robbie Brennan a little longer than was apparently acceptable about the coaching situation.
Earlier, Brennan had complimented his former coaches, describing them as ‘brilliant guys’ and ‘brilliant coaches’, but given no details on why they left, responding, ‘no, not really’ when asked if he could shed any light on it.
Later, when a second reporter probed further, Plunkett intervened.
“Robbie has clarified,” said Plunkett. “They left. We accepted that they’ve gone and I think we just draw a line under it now and put it to bed.”
Only there wasn’t any clarification at all. And the rumours that swept the Royal County all last week about why the Ulster duo departed will continue this week ahead of the team’s return to Navan to play in-form Offaly in a Leinster quarter-final on Sunday.
Mickey Harte’s involvement with Offaly will bring a unique element to the game but it will hardly feel as surreal as yesterday’s provincial opener.
Because while Meath supporters were playing guessing games about exactly what’s going on with their backroom team, Carlow fans were trying to get their heads around their own managerial crisis.
Meath at least have a manager in Brennan who has been there since the start of pre-season – Joe Murphy is only just in the door with Carlow.
It was a baptism of fire for him too as the game was as good as over at half-time when Meath led by 0-22 to 0-5. Even in this era of two-pointers and large deficits being quickly eroded, the Division 4 outfit weren’t coming back from that one.
Éire Óg man Murphy took over from Shane Curran with ‘player related issues’ cited as the reason for the former Roscommon goalkeeper’s exit. The players themselves hit back, outlining their ‘persistent concerns with the overall organisation and training environment throughout the league’.
It is an even messier situation than Meath’s, and Carlow are still working through it all. Murphy, who had to quit his position as manager of Kildare champions Naas to take the inter-county position on an interim basis, acknowledged after yesterday’s game that they ‘got no work done really’ last week.
“It was just regrouping and learning names actually,” he said. “Today was an accurate reflection of where we are.”
At least Carlow have snagged a man who feels that he is ‘the right man at the right time in the right place’ for his county and who has a full backroom team in place. James Clarke, Michael Kehoe and Dominic Mulligan will be assisting him.
Truth be told, Sunday’s Round 1 encounter in Navan would probably have still ended up in a significant Meath win regardless of the coaching upheaval in both camps. There are 17 league places between the Division 2 and Division 4 teams.
The real intrigue will be in what impact the messy championship buildup has on the two counties in the coming weeks. Carlow have five weeks to prepare for the Tailteann Cup, a competition they can genuinely strive to be successful in.
Meath have little time to prepare for their next outing and with injuries also an issue in the camp – Michael Murphy, Jack Kinlough and Eoin Harkin suffered fresh setbacks on Sunday.
Ex-captain Ronan Jones and leading forward Jordan Morris were already out – it could be a long afternoon against the Division 3 winners.
Back in Sunday’s press briefing, after Plunkett had finished speaking and made it clear there could be no more questions on the coaching situation, there was a lengthy pause.
The 42 broke the silence by querying Brennan’s earlier suggestion that Offaly would be ‘favourites’ this weekend.
Brennan smiled, an easy question at last.
“Yeah, I do, and there is no Kerry cute hoorism going on there,” he maintained. “If you were in Croke Park (for the Division 3 final) you could feel that momentum behind their team, and with Declan Kelly and Mickey there, there is a real buzz about them. They remind me of the Offaly team under Tommy Lyons that beat Meath unfortunately, in 1997.”
Meath were reigning All-Ireland champions at the time and, two years later, would take the Sam Maguire Cup again.
Sean Boylan was manager back then and was among the 3,347 at the game on Sunday as Brennan, a neighbour from Dunboyne, pulled on the bainisteoir bib and accepted all the pressure that goes with it these days.
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