Tom Carr's reign as Dublin football manager ended last night when a dramatic county board meeting eventually came to the decision not to offer him another term in charge of the senior team.

An incredible sequence of events at Parnell Park saw the club delegates come to a split vote on the decision to accept or reject the management committee recommendation not to give Carr and his selection team a fifth year in charge.

Following that decision the county chairman, John Bailey called to adjourn the meeting so that management committee could further review the matter. After ten minutes he returned to end the suspense and use his casting vote to confirm the management committee decision not to go forward with Carr for another term.

After some tense and heated discussion where the overall mood among the delegates reflected the controversial matter of the last week, the vote fell 46 for and 46 against the recommendation. The ballot numbered 93 with one abstention.

As the fate of Carr and his selectors, John O'Leary, Richie Crean and Dom Twomey still hung in the balance, there was further discussion among the county delegates. But Bailey's decision then ended the matter for good.

"I want to put on the record my appreciation of all the efforts that Tom Carr and his selectors have made over the last four years," said Bailey. "But this is a big county and it needs to be successful.

"And I hope that we can all walk out of here tonight together in support of Dublin football. I want to leave the GAA with no enemies and I only have the interest of Dublin football at heart."

When contacted with the news, Carr expressed his obvious disappointment. It was reported that he may address the meeting himself but under the rules of his six months suspension, the result of his pitch incursion against Kerry last August, he was barred from all GAA activities.

The story that began last Wednesday night when the management committee made the decision not to recommend Carr and his selection team for another year was thus ended in bizarre circumstances.

But earlier in the night Dublin captain Dessie Farrell was among those to address the issue. He made a passionate plea to the delegates present, reinforcing the position of all the players and offering the full support for Carr and his selection team.

"I am disappointed to be here because as a player I prefer to stay away from these sort of things," he said. "But the players felt that we had no choice but to make our feelings known.

"He is an honest, intelligent and articulate man and I have never played under a more passionate and spirited manager. I beg all of you to support him so that we can see success in Dublin next year."

Not surprisingly then there were mixed feelings on the night, but Bailey did take some time out to clear up much of the recent controversy, not least of all the perception that he had contradicted his feelings on the Dublin management.

"I was entitled to review my opinion during the management committee's review of the last week. The management committee is not divided and I reject all the treatment that I was given in the media over the last few days.

" What I did suggest was that a new face may be better for Dublin football. And I informed him of that decision after it was made last Wednesday night."