Gaelic Games News round-up: Joe Kernan's reign as Armagh manager has been extended until the conclusion of the 2008 championship. His management team of Paul Grimley and John McCloskey also return as do veteran players Kieran McGeeney, Paul McGrane and Oisín McConville for at least one more campaign.
The former All-Ireland club winning manager with Crossmaglen Rangers delivered Sam Maguire to Armagh at the first attempt in 2002. They immediately returned to the All-Ireland final only to be beaten by Tyrone. Last year, they were hugely impressive in the Ulster championship before being caught by Fermanagh at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage.
This year they won the provincial crown for a third time in Kernan's four years in charge, beating Tyrone in controversial circumstances, before succumbing to their neighbours in the All-Ireland semi-final.
"We took our time to make sure everything was right to come back," said Kernan. "In fairness to the county board after the All-Ireland semi-final they said to take a holiday and not to do anything stupid. It's the same management team and that is what we wanted."
Kernan has been handed a three-year term by the county board, which he considers an ideal period for the panel to evolve.
"We will have to do some rebuilding, so this gives us time to do that. In the previous four years we have introduced new players all the time. People said when we took over that we were inheriting an old and tired team but I think we have got a fair bit of mileage out of them. There is plenty of bright new talent coming through from the success of the under-21 team (that won the All-Ireland in 2004) as well."
The return of McGrane and McGeeney is no great surprise but McConville has been carrying a succession of injuries, a lower back problem in particular, in recent seasons.
"Oisín will be back, don't worry about that," continued Kernan. "In the county final last week, when Cross' completed the 10-in-a-row, he was the main man in the last 10 minutes when he kicked a free from the sideline. He even did something he has not done for years by kicking a 50-yard free from the ground." Kernan reconvenes the panel next week to begin plans for 2006.
Meanwhile, a decision on the new Roscommon football manager is expected early next week with John Maughan currently the most high-profile name still in contention.
The former Mayo, Clare and Fermanagh manager initially planned to stay out of inter-county management next year but that decision appears to be waning somewhat.
"Let me put it this way: I haven't said no," said Maughan yesterday. "I have spoken to them but haven't said yes either. I'm considering it. I did say I would not be returning to management for some time but it doesn't work that way. I will make contact with Roscommon this week."
A potential stumbling block is a club has not nominated Maughan. Nor has the four-man committee charged with nominating a candidate for ratification formally interviewed him. By next week, the committee, chaired by county chairman Michael Maguire, will have interviewed nine candidates including Jimmy Gacquin, Tommy Kenoy and Frank Doherty, who won an All-Ireland club title with Caltra.
"The Maughan issue has just snowballed recently," said fixtures secretary Séamus Maher, who is also on the selection committee. "We would be delighted to have a manager of his calibre but I would prefer to appoint from within the county."
Leinster manager Val Andrews has named five Dublin players and three each from Laois, Westmeath and Meath along with Offaly's Karol Slattery for Saturday's interprovincial semi-final against Connacht at Parnell Park. Louth, Carlow, Wexford, Kildare and Wicklow are all represented on the panel with the selection of Rathnew's Tommy Gill a strong indication that he is considering a comeback to intercounty football with Wicklow after opting out in 2005.
LEINSTER (SF v Connacht): F Byron (Laois); M Ennis (Westmeath), D Healy (Westmeath), N McKeigue (Meath); K Slattery (Offaly), B Cahill (Dublin), P Andrews (Dublin); C Whelan (Dublin), N Garvan (Laois); A Mangan (Westmeath), C Moran (Dublin), P Clancy (Laois); D Regan (Meath), G Geraghty (Meath), J Sherlock (Dublin). Subs: P Kelly (Offaly), J Doyle (Kildare), S Gerrard (Louth), D Rooney (Laois), C Morris (Wexford), T Walsh (Carlow), B Sheehan (Laois), L Glynn (Wicklow), T Gill (Wicklow).
