Mayo GAA try to pick up pieces after management and players part company
Edwin McGreal
A DRAMATIC week for Mayo GAA culminated in the resignations of the joint-managers of the county senior football team, Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly, last Friday night.
It has now emerged that the process of beginning to search for their successor is not likely to officially begin until next week.
Speaking to The Mayo News last night (Monday), County Board PRO Aiden McLoughlin said Mayo GAA chiefs would be ‘taking a few days’ before making the next move.
McLoughlin also confirmed that there is likely to be a full meeting of the County Board ‘late next week or early the following week’.
Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly addressed last Friday night’s Mayo GAA executive officers meeting to inform them they were stepping aside, following a motion of ‘no confidence’ in their management being passed by the majority of the Mayo squad almost two weeks previously.
Crossmolina native Stephen Rochford was the bookies’ favourite for the vacancy before betting was suspended at the weekend with the current Corofin manager followed by former Mayo manager James Horan at the head of the market.
Mayo News columnist Billy Joe Padden has called for an impartial input into the interview committee that is likely to be set up in the coming weeks.
“The likes of former Mayo players or coaches, All-Ireland winning players or managers from other counties — people who don’t have a conflict of interest but can help to ensure that the best person get the job,” writes the ex-Mayo forward.
Meanwhile, interviews for the vacant Mayo Under 21 manager post were held last week with John Maughan, Michael Solan and Anthony McGarry all attending.
Aiden McLoughlin said there is unlikely to be any developments on that front before the next County Board meeting.
The Swinford clubman also said that the decision to have Sunday’s Mayo SFC semi-finals between Ballintubber versus Breaffy and Castlebar Mitchels versus Knockmore at 1pm and 2.30pm respectively was a change made due to the Rugby World Cup.
Ireland play France in their final group game with a kick-off time of 4.45pm and McLoughlin said the games were brought forward to ‘convenience supporters and players who would like to watch the rugby’.
