Brilliant Corofin give Cunningham and Roscommon big reality check

Galway captain Padraic Mannion and his brother Cathal, with the team's Kitman Tex Callaghan, and the Wild Geese trophy after their free-taking shootout victory over Kilkenny at Spotless Stadium, Sydney on Sunday. Photo: Ray McManus /Sportsfile

placeholder image — Galway captain Padraic Mannion and his brother Cathal, with the team's Kitman Tex Callaghan, and the Wild Geese trophy after their free-taking shootout victory over Kilkenny at Spotless Stadium, Sydney on Sunday. Photo: Ray McManus /Sportsfile

Inside Track with John McIntyre

ANTHONY Cunningham was among the crowd of about 1,000 at Dr Hyde Park for the Connacht Club senior semi-final last Sunday and the new Roscommon football team manager got a quick reality check about the major challenge which lies ahead of him.

Following the departure of Kevin McStay after a couple of heavy losses in the new Super 8s last summer, few imagined that Roscommon would eventually end up with a Galway man as his replacement, especially one who comes with a strong hurling pedigree.

Cunningham, of course, has enjoyed success at club Gaelic football level with both St Brigid’s of Roscommon and Garrycastle of Westmeath, but probably the only thing on the St Thomas’ clubman’s mind a few weeks ago was the prospect of taking over from Pat Gilroy as Dublin hurling manager.

As the outgoing coach of the Dubs, Cunningham was one of three candidates heavily touted for the manager’s vacancy, but the job ultimately went to Abbey/Duniry’s Mattie Kenny, who has achieved the notable feat of guiding Cuala to back-to-back All-Ireland club triumphs.

Ironically, Kenny was Galway coach when they reached the All-Ireland final of 2012, but there was a parting of the ways between him and then Tribesmen boss Cunningham subsequently. Kenny actually made a bid for the Galway position when the players revolted against Cunningham’s tenure in the winter of 2015 only for the County Board to opt for Micheál Donoghue.

Against that background, Cunningham and Kenny ending up being shortlisted – along with previous Dubs boss Anthony Daly – to succeed Gilroy was unusual to say the least, and Cunningham must have been disappointed to lose out to his former sideline colleague, especially given his prominent role with the team in 2018.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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