GALEIC GAMES/News: The Dublin County Board has rejected any suggestion of a political or personality conflict in the failure of Nicky Kehoe to be appointed as a hurling selector.  Ian O'Riordan reports.

Kehoe yesterday confirmed he would no longer be seeking the position, but he suggested that certain members of the county board needed to "decommission their mindsets" and take politics out of the county's hurling interests.

According to Kehoe, currently a Dublin Sinn Féin councillor, his political background took precedence when it came to the appointment.

"This is all to do with politics, I'm 100 per cent sure of that," he said. "This should have been about what I could bring to Dublin hurling, and not about my political background. But clearly there are certain members of the Dublin County Board that need to decommission their mindsets."

Dublin chairman John Bailey categorically rejected any such political conflict, saying that Kehoe had simply withdrawn his name when the management team came up for ratification last Monday night.

"It was known when Marty Morris was appointed manager last December that the positions would still have to ratified," he said. "Nicky was given the opportunity to go forward but withdrew his name on the night, for whatever reason."

The controversy around Kehoe's position became public following Monday night's meeting of the county board. Kehoe admitted withdrawing his name on the night, but on the understanding that Morris was in the position to finalise his own selectors.

While Mick O'Riordan and Tommy Ryan were ratified as selectors, along with Seán Beakey as team trainer, it was then disclosed that no further selectors could be ratified without again going back to the county board for approval.

Kehoe met Morris on Wednesday night and discussed the issue for several hours. Morris had originally approached him about the position just after Christmas, partly because Kehoe himself had been interviewed for the position as manager in early December.

"Well, I know I've been driven away for all the wrong reasons," added Keogh. "But I've weighed up the pros and cons of the situation and in the best interests of Dublin hurling I've decided to step away. But there's definitely been some discrimination going on, and it's been a bitter bill to swallow.

"But I know Marty was under a lot of pressure. I certainly didn't want to damage the situation, and so stepping away was the right thing to do," he added. "But I had been enjoying it and I was prepared to give it my all. All I can say now is best of luck to the team, and thanks as well to the clubs who supported me while I was there."

It was suggested earlier in the week that part of the problem was that the current management team was made up entirely of northside club representatives, and that Kehoe's links with Naomh Fionnbarra would further prevent any ties with southside clubs.

"That was a total smokescreen," said Keogh, "and if they do nominate a third selector from the northside now it won't look very good."

Bailey confirmed that Morris was still in a position to add a third selector, but would have to put in the request with the county board.

"If there was any misunderstanding on that matter I've already apologised to the people involved," he said, "but this has nothing to do with anyone's politics or personality. I've never mixed politics with sport, nor was anyone in the county board interfering with the position."