TIM Buckley is the new man in charge of the Newcestown footballers.
Buckley has agreed to take over the managerial reins from Tom Wilson as the senior dual club looks for an improved showing in this year’s Premier SFC. Newcestown failed to emerge from the opening phase of last year’s Premier SFC, finishing third in Group B behind Castlehaven and Éire Óg but ahead of Carbery Rangers.
A club member and former Newcestown player, Buckley served as a selector under previous manager Wilson six years ago. He has not finalised his backroom team for the season ahead. St Finbarr's senior footballer and former Cork player Michael Shields is currently working with the Newcestown players in a strength and conditioning role/capacity.
Elsewhere in the Premier Senior grade, it is as you were when it comes to West Cork club management set-ups. James McCarthy is staying on as manager of last year’s county semi-finalists and 2020 runners-up Castlehaven.
Declan Hayes will also remain in charge of Carbery Rangers for a second season and will hope for improved fortunes following three narrow defeats in the 2021 Premier SFC. Rangers were unlucky to lose to both Newcestown and Castlehaven in their final group outings but possess enough experience and scoring prowess in the likes of John O’Rourke and John Hayes to kick on in 2022.
Dunmanway man Tim Buckley will once again be in charge of the Carbery division’s senior footballers this year. Exactly what players will be available to Buckley remains undecided. The Carbery board has yet to announce when they intend to run their divisional football championships and how those games will fit into the overall Cork GAA county board master fixtures-plan. Irrespective of when the Carbery divisional footballers are made available and return to active training, Buckley and his squad will be eager to improve on last year’s disappointing 0-16 to 0-6 exit at the hands of Muskerry.
Although yet to be confirmed, it is expected that Mike ‘Haulie’ O'Neill and his backroom team will return for another year at the helm of the Clonakilty footballers. The Brewery Town enjoyed a tremendous run to last year’s Premier SFC county decider, defeating Ilen Rovers, Ballincollig, Duhallow and Douglas, only to come up short to newly-crowned Munster champions St Finbarr’s. Last year’s Clonakilty senior football management team consisted of O’Neill, Neil Deasy, Eoin Ryan and Brian Murphy. Naturally, Clon will be hoping to build on the momentum gained from their 2021 exploits and produce a similar championship run over the next 12 months, though they will have to plan without top scorer Dara Ó Sé who has rejoined his home club An Ghaeltacht in West Kerry.
