Brian Cody will take charge of Kilkenny's hurlers for a 16th year in 2014 after his appointment was ratified at a specially convened meeting of the Kilkenny County Board at Nowlan Park on Wednesday night.

Cody, 59, will be joined again by Michael Dempsey, while former players James McGarry and Derek Lyng come in tom the managerial set-up, with Martin Fogarty stepping down from his role after informing the Board that he did not wish to continue.

Both McGarry and Lyng played under Cody during his term in charge of the Cats, with McGarry playing in goal in the manager’s first All-Ireland final in 1999, where they were defeated by Cork.

McGarry and midfielder Lyng both have six senior All-Ireland winner’s medals.