JOE Carroll has been appointed as the new Cork LGFA senior manager and his backroom team contains plenty of West Cork interest.
Ratified at Monday night's county board meeting, Carroll is no stranger to the inter-county setup having previously guided Cork’s minors to two Munster LGFA successes and an All-Ireland LGFA title as recently as 2022.
Carroll was on the MTU Cork sideline this past weekend as his Éire Óg side lost out to Aghada in the Cork LGFA senior A county final in a free-kick shootout. It was his second consecutive county final loss and the club’s fourth defeat in four years.
The Éire Óg manager takes over from Shane Ronayne who stepped down at the end of this past year’s campaign having guided Cork to an All-Ireland semi-final. The new Cork manager’s first task will be to help the Rebels gain promotion from Division 2 of the LGFA’s National League having suffered relegation earlier this season.
The new-look Cork senior backroom team will have plenty of West Cork interest. Former West Cork LGFA manager Brian McCarthy, who guided the division to a senior county title in 2020, will be involved this coming year as will Bantry Blues LGFA stalwart Anne O’Grady.
O’Grady was an integral part of that West Cork LGFA senior success, She is a respected coach with her native Bantry club as well as a Cork LGFA FLO with the county’s Player Development Programme.
James McCarthy needs little introduction from his time coaching Castlehaven to Cork Premier SFC and Munster SFC successes in 2023. McCarthy stepped back from that managerial role at the beginning of the year and is reported to be another member of Joe Carroll’s backroom setup for the coming season.
