Trailblazer Margaret playing lead role with St Oliver Plunkett’s junior football team

A SURPRISE phone call last December persuaded Margaret Keohane to take over as manager of St Oliver Plunkett’s junior football team.

It has proved to be a shrewd appointment as the Saints are through to this Saturday’s Bon Secours Confined Junior B FC final against Ballyphehane in Páirc Uí Rinn (3.30pm).

A female manager of a men’s team, Margaret is bucking the trend, and delighted to do so.

Originally from Ahiohill, she is the daughter of legendary GAA administrator Denis while her brother Michael P is a key player for the club’s footballers and hurlers. Margaret has been living in Ballinascarthy for the past five years since she got married but still has a huge passion for her home club.

‘I grew up with a lot of the lads and played underage with some of them. Nobody had any problem with me coming in as manager,’ Margaret explained.

‘I’m no different to the rest of the management team anyway. They’re a sound bunch of lads.’

This is her first role with a men’s side after doing some coaching work with the Keelnameela junior ladies football team.

‘I would have been playing with Punketts’ boys' underage teams a long time ago. Keelnameela ladies started up around 15 years ago. I was playing with them and I was a little bit involved in that with some of the coaches. This is a new venture with a men’s,’ she added.

It was a Plunkett’s player who touched base with Margaret in late 2022 to see if she would be interested in taking charge for the 2023 campaign.

‘Brian Walsh, who is our goalkeeper, rang me last December. It was a bit of a shock. Brian also contacted Noel Griffin, our coach, and all the management team,’ she explained.

‘Talking to Brian was what persuaded me to do it, he was very positive. That’s what I liked. That’s what made my mind up, everybody was 100 percent committed to it. There were a couple of the selectors in place already. It was a nice team to be getting involved with.’

Her management team includes: coach, Noel Griffin; selectors, Alex Whooley, Mike Murphy, and Barry Ryan; logistics: Brian Walsh; and physio, Sean Ryan. Together, with the players, they have found a winning formula and are now on the cusp of county glory.

‘It’s a privilege to be involved. I’m still learning, I’ve never been involved with a men’s team before,’ she laughed.

‘It was daunting but the players and the other members of the management team made sure I did the right thing. They were very supportive.’

Recently in England, Hannah Dingley became the first female manager in men's professional football in England as she took on the role at Forest Green Rovers. Will we see more women in charge of men’s sports teams in the future?

‘I think it will be a common theme in the future. A number of years ago, there weren't women’s football teams in West Cork,’ Margaret points out.

‘Even when I was growing up, there weren't any women's teams to get involved with. I played with Plunketts boys up until U14 and then there was no local ladies football team for me to play with or no football teams in school at the time.

‘It was only when I finished college and moved home that there were teams in West Cork. That was one side of it.’

Here Margaret is now, manager of the Plunkett's team in a county final, and determined to play her role in this success story.