JOE Carroll has been appointed as the new manager of the Cork Senior Ladies Football team for 2025, taking over at a pivotal time as the team looks to build on last year's All-Ireland semi-final appearance while also rebounding from league relegation.
Alongside Carroll, there’s strong West Cork representation with Castlehaven’s James McCarthy, Bantry’s Anne O’Grady, and Clann na Gaels Brian McCarthy part of his selecting panel with Valerie Mulcahy and Tadgh Buckley. Carroll, who has a long history of involvement with Cork underage teams, expressed his excitement and honour at the opportunity to lead a senior Cork team.
‘I'm delighted to be given the opportunity,’ Caroll said. ‘It is a huge honour to be involved with any Cork team at any level, whether it is underage or senior, boys or girls. Cork is a great sporting county, and hopefully myself and my management team can do it justice,’ Carroll said.
After last season's disappointing relegation to Division 2 in the National League, Carroll has set his immediate focus on getting Cork back to the top flight. He emphasised the importance of taking a step-by-step approach to the league while also using the opportunity to explore new players and develop depth within the squad.
‘We have to take every game in the league as it comes, and our immediate goal would be to get promotion out of Division 2 back to Division 1 for the following year,’ he explained. ‘I suppose as we are in Division 2, it might give us a slight bit more of an opportunity to look at a few more players too.’
While promotion is the primary goal for the league, Carroll made it clear that his overarching focus is ensuring the team is united and fully prepared for the challenges ahead in the championship. ‘For championship it will be the same, take it game by game, take it as it comes in the Munster Championship and in the All-Ireland Series after that. The main thing is that we have our team united going forward into the championship. That would be the big goal for the league.’
One of Carroll's key advantages is his familiarity with many of the players, having managed Cork's minor teams between 2018 and 2022. His involvement with University College Cork in recent years has further deepened his connection with several players who will be part of his senior squad.
‘I nearly know, I'd say, 90% of the squad that was involved in last year's panel,’ Carroll noted. ‘I'd say there were only about four from last year’s squad that I hadn't worked with previously. So I think that will be hugely beneficial. I would know other players as well that we might be looking at, hopefully, that would get involved for the coming year.’
Though he is focused on immediate goals like promotion and championship preparation, Carroll is also realistic about the long-term objectives. When asked whether winning the All-Ireland was a target, he was cautious in setting lofty expectations but acknowledged that it’s always a goal for Cork.
‘I suppose I wouldn't be the one for making predictions like we're going to win the All-Ireland or anything like that. We're taking it game by game in the league and developing our panel. In Cork, no matter whether it's hurling, football, camogie, or ladies football, it'll always be a long-term goal of that team to win an All-Ireland.’
However, Carroll also stressed the importance of player development and building a strong foundation for the future. He aims to establish a pathway for younger players to step up and make an impact in the years to come.
‘We would hope that at the end of our two-year term, we have a player pathway developed that will provide a very sound base for the team going forward for the next two years after that. You never know though, we’ll have to wait and see how things pan out.’
