Mike Finnerty
THIS year’s beaten Mayo SFC finalists, Castlebar Mitchels, have received a massive boost with the news that Pat Holmes is to remain in charge for a second season.
The former Mayo senior manager informed club officials of his decision earlier this month, and Castlebar’s players will now focus all their energies on winning the Moclair Cup next year for the first time since 1993.
Elsewhere, the 2008 county senior champions, Ballaghaderreen, will have a third manager in the space of as many years after Kieran Gallagher stepped down from the position last month.
The former Mayo coach led Ballagh’ to the quarter-finals of the 2011 championship in his first season in charge, but was disappointed to see the East Mayo side knocked out by Knockmore.
Former Roscommon selector, Mark O’Dowd, has been appointed as the new Ballaghaderreen boss. The Strokestown native has worked alongside Fergal O’Donnell at both minor and senior level in Roscommon for the last five years.
Meanwhile, Jim O’Shea is expected to take charge of the Breaffy senior footballers for the sixth successive season in 2012 while Tomás Tierney will also remain as Westport manager for a second term.
Among those currently searching for a new manager at the moment are county champions, Ballintubber, Crossmolina and Claremorris after the departures of Anthony McGarry, John Maughan and Brendan French respectively.
As exclusively revealed in last week’s Mayo News, McGarry stepped down from his management post with Ballintubber after winning the double last season to take over at Ballina Stephenites.