BY KIERAN McCARTHY
DUNMANWAY’S reputation as a sporting hotspot has been further enhanced with the news that Lee Carsley has been named as England’s interim football manager.
The former Ireland midfielder is a man with very strong Dunmanway connections.
Carsley’s grandmother, Jo Cambridge (née Wiseman), hailed from Coach Road in Dunmanway. Her mother, Mary Wiseman (née Hickey), was married to another local man, Cornelius Wiseman, so Carsley’s great grandparents were also from Dunmanway, further strengthening his links to the town.
‘There are people living in Dunmanway whose grandparents would have been a first cousin to Lee Carsley’s grandmother Jo,’ explains Dunmanway native Michelle O'Mahony, who runs OM History Consultant.
Jo Cambridge is believed to have left West Cork in the 1940s before setting up home in Birmingham, and it was through Carsley’s links to Dunmanway that he was able to represent the Republic of Ireland – he played for the Boys in Green 40 times.
Current England U21 boss Carsley is now building a reputation as a manager of note, and was believed to have been a front-runner for the Republic of Ireland job earlier this year, but has now been named as England’s interim manager. His first game will be against the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League on September 7th in Dublin.
As well as Carsley’s connection to Dunmanway, the town has strong links to two other prominent Irish soccer players who have played in the Premier League in recent years. Current Barnsley player-coach Conor Hourihane is connected to Dunmanway through his mother Helen who hails from the town. Liverpool and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher is also connected to Dunmanway – his late father, Ray Kelleher, is a Doheny GAA legend, while Caoimhin’s late grandfather, Timothy, was also from Dunmanway.
