Nine newly-appointed senior football managers will walk the line for the first time on Wednesday night as the 2023 intercounty season starts to warm up.
There are 10 football matches scheduled across the O’Byrne, McGrath and Dr McKenna Cups.
The meetings of Tyrone v Fermanagh and Kerry v Cork are the only fixtures where neither team will have a new boss at the helm, though John Cleary was operating in an interim capacity in 2022, having replaced Keith Ricken midway through the season.
So it’s a night for the greenhorns to don some new colours. All five O’Byrne Cup games will have teams with new managers patrolling the sideline, some no doubt tucked beneath their recently provided fleece-lined county beanies.
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Oisín McConville’s arrival to Wicklow has generated plenty of enthusiasm around the Garden County. The Armagh native begins life as Wicklow boss in Baltinglass, with Dublin coming to town. Clearly fearful of newbie McConville outwitting them in this season opener, over the winter Dessie Farrell’s Dubs decided it was imperative to add another All-Ireland winning manager to their set-up in the form of Pat Gilroy. So, a nice easy starter for Oisín.
Then again Dublin have adopted a very a la carte approach to the O’Byrne Cup over the last decade or so. You feel they could take it or leave it.
And yet they are joint second in the roll of honour, alongside Meath, with 10 titles. But both are one adrift of those giants of January, Kildare.
Colm O’Rourke, swapping the world of cotton shirts and warm studio punditry for frigid sidelines and fleece-lined beanie hats, has named seven debutants in the Meath team for his first competitive game at the helm. Meath travel to play Carlow.
Dessie Dolan, having been a selector last season, takes charge of his native Westmeath for the first time when they meet Mickey Harte’s Louth in Darver, while John Hegarty’s maiden outing with Wexford sees them face Kildare.
Paddy Christie will begin life as Longford senior football manager by going to Portarlington to play Laois.
“It is exciting because you have a new group there, a lot of lads from last year but you are also bringing in guys who did not play last year and you are bringing in guys who showed potential,” says Christie.
“When you have new people coming in, players or management, it gives it a bit of a boost and I think that has been the case. Certainly, there has been a bit of a positive vibe around the place.
“That won’t last for long if you start losing a few games but if you win a few games, build on what you have, you can get a lot of momentum for the league and that is what we are hoping for.”
Of course, building your season upon the foundations of how things pan out in the O’Byrne Cup, or any of the pre-league competitions, is to plop oneself atop a hill of beans. If some in the GAA had their way these competitions would have been canned a long time ago.
Many of the more successful counties and established management teams could do without them as well. But for new managers these games over the next few weeks will provide them with an invaluable opportunity to see their players in a competitive environment, some for the first time.
It will be the only chance new managers like McConville and Christie get to really judge what talent they have to work with for the season ahead. The National League starts at the end of the month and that competition is a priority for many – so this is the only real test bed they will get for experimentation.
“You are trying to find the best positions for lads because ultimately we are coming in with a clean slate. As a management we want to give fellas a chance,” adds Christie.
“We want to give opportunities to lads but in doing that you won’t know who your best team is for a while so there is a trade-off there. No matter what, there is a benefit in winning a couple of games because for the counties in the lower divisions confidence will always be an issue until you have done something big.”
Andy McEntee is not exactly a newbie to the circuit, he was managing his native Meath until last year, but he will be experiencing life as Antrim manager for the first time tonight (Wednesday) when they travel to the Athletic Grounds to play Armagh.
Vinny Corey will manage his native Monaghan in competitive action against a Down side also under new management, with Conor Laverty stepping up to the plate in the Mourne County.
Finally, in Munster, Ray Dempsey will take charge of Limerick for the first time. They host Waterford in a McGrath Cup clash at Rathkeale.
The first Wednesday of January is here. The venues will be cold and damp, the football probably something similar.
Let the fun begin.
The newly appointed managers in action:
Wexford: John Hegarty replaces Shane Roche
Westmeath: Dessie Dolan replaces Jack Cooney
Longford: Paddy Christie replaces Billy O’Loughlin
Meath: Colm O’Rourke replaces Andy McEntee
Wicklow: Oisín McConville replaces Alan Costello and Gary Duffy
Limerick: Ray Dempsey replaces Billy Lee
Monaghan: Vinny Corey replaces Séamus McEnaney
Down: Conor Laverty replaces James McCartan
Antrim: Andy McEntee replaces Enda McGinley
