FORMER GALWAY HURLING boss Anthony Cunningham has tonight been confirmed as the new Roscommon senior football manager.
Cunningham replaces Kevin McStay, who stepped aside in September and revealed his decision to retire from senior inter-county management in the process.
Armagh All-Ireland winner Aidan O’Rourke had been set to take over in the Roscommon hotseat but withdrew from the race at the end of last month.
The appointment of Cunningham brings an end to a two-month search that had dragged on for Roscommon and fills the last remaining inter-county football managerial vacancy ahead of the 2019 season.
It marks an interesting switch of codes for Cunningham, who spent 2018 as part of the Dublin hurling management alongside Pat Gilroy, the 2011 All-Ireland football winning boss.
Cunningham had been touted as a contender to replace Gilroy as Dublin manager but Mattie Kenny was ratified last weekend for that role on a three-year term.
He may be best known as a hurling manager after leading Galway to the All-Ireland U21 title in 2011 before taking over the county’s senior side to guide them to All-Ireland final appearances in 2012 and 2015.
However he has enjoyed notable success at club football level. A resident of Kiltoom in Roscommon, he guided local club St Brigid’s to two county senior crowns and a Connacht title in 2006. Then Cunningham took over Westmeath outfit Garrycastle, presiding over their county and Leinster triumphs in 2011 before they lost out to Crossmaglen Rangers after an All-Ireland final replay in 2012
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