Walsh the frontrunner to replace Kernan

Date Published: 05-Aug-2010

Dara Bradley

HERE we go again. The search for a new Galway senior football manager begins this morning following the resignation of Joe Kernan earlier this week – less than 11 months after he was appointed.

The Armagh man, who was unveiled with such razzmatazz as Galway manager at Tuam Stadium last September, formally tendered his resignation to the Chairman of the Football Board, John Joe Holleran, with a letter which arrived by post on Tuesday.Kernan said his position was being “undermined” by the insistence that his backroom team be changed.

And a tug of war between Galway’s Football Board and the Sligo County Board could ensue in the coming weeks over the bookies’ front-runner to replace Kernan, current Sligo manager and Killanin man Kevin Walsh – the Chairperson of the Sligo County Board has expressed his confidence to Tribune Sport that Walsh will remain with the Yeats County for a third year in 2011.

Kernan, Holleran and at least two other senior Football Board officials met as planned at Ionad Peile na Gaillimhe, Loughgeorge last Thursday night to review Galway’s progress under the Crossmaglen man this season, which ended in a very disappointing home defeat to Wexford in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

Given that both the Football Board and Kernan had indicated that they did not wish to part company for at least another year, there was some surprise – although no real shock – in GAA circles in the county that he had stepped down.

Tribune Sport understands that Kernan outlined at the meeting that he wanted to stay on as manager for another year and the Board were also anxious that he would remain in place but there was one insurmountable obstacle to that happening – Kernan’s trainer, John McCluskey and fitness, strength and conditioning coach, Pat Hatton.