Mayo ladies appointment saga ends after Liam McHale ratified as senior manager

THE saga surrounding the appointment of the Mayo ladies senior football manager has come to an end this evening (Tuesday) after Liam McHale was formally ratified by the Mayo LGFA county board. 

McHale’s appointment was approved by a vote of club delegates at a meeting of the county board following a long-running saga which was briefly subject to a legal matter.

The former Mayo footballer and senior men’s team selector was first confirmed to be interested in the job in early September.

Former Mayo Minor ladies manager Vinny Gavin publicly declared that had applied for the position later that month.

The Swinford selector included Westport manager Neil Chambers, former Burrishoole selector Enda McManamon, Breaffy native Declan Jennings and ex-Charlestown footballer John Casey on his proposed backroom team.

McHale and Gavin were the only two candidates to apply for the job after applications closed on September 22.

Both candidates were then interviewed by an independent appointments committee consisting of Mayo LGFA Chairman Des Phillips – who chaired the committee - Mayo LGFA Children’s Officer Ita Brennan and two other individuals, including a retired female intercounty ladies footballer.

The committee recommended that McHale be appointed manager of the Mayo senior ladies, a position which had been vacant since Michael Moyles vacated the role on August 10.

The process was thrown into upheaval when the Mayo LGFA county board overwhelmingly rejected the recommendation by secret ballot.

Mayo LGFA later issued a statement acknowledging that the managerial appointments process had been ‘flawed’.

Liam McHale then accepted an invitation from Mayo LGFA Chairman Des Phillips to re-join the appointments process.

McHale accepted the invitation before the appointments process was stalled by a ‘legal matter’.

A county board executive meeting was then held last Thursday, where it was agreed that McHale’s appointment be put to a vote of club delegates at this evening’s county board meeting.

His ex-Mayo teammate Dermot Flanagan will coach roughly a dozen Mayo players based in Dublin. Two-time All-Star defender Kenneth Mortimer will also be on McHale’s coaching ticket.

The Ballina native was then formally ratified and is due to take charge of a Mayo team that has reached the All-Ireland senior football semi-final for three seasons in a row.

McHale has previously managed the Belmullet and Athlone men’s team and has coached the St Brigid’s, Cavan and Roscommon men’s football teams.

He served a selector with the Mayo senior footballers under his brother-in-law Kevin McStay before departing stepping down in July.

The first round of the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1 commences on Sunday, January 21.

Mayo - who finished sixth in last year’s league – will play All-Ireland champions Dublin, Kerry, Armagh, Cork, Waterford, Meath and Galway in their 2024 campaign.