O'Sullivan: I knew I'd return as Ross boss

MICHEÁL O’Sullivan always knew he’d find himself back in the Carbery Rangers hot seat.

The former inter-county midfielder was previously in charge of the Rosscarbery side between 2012 and 2015 – but is back in charge again this season. 

Having guided his hometown club to one county final and two semi-finals in his first stint, O’Sullivan decided a new voice was needed in the dressing room and stepped away in late 2015.

Fast forward three years and O’Sullivan accepted an offer to replace previous incumbents Maurice Moore and Shane Crowley as manager for the 2018 campaign without a moment’s hesitation. 

‘Look, I’m just delighted to be back,’ he said.

‘When club chairman Mick Connolly rang me back in October to know if I would be interested in coming back, there was no doubt about it, I immediately said yes. 

‘Obviously, I’m involved with Carbery Rangers GAA all my life and got an awful lot from the club as a player. I also enjoyed my time as manager so there was no question; I was going to come back. 

‘It was always in my head that I was going to return to Carbery Rangers at some stage. I had been in charge for four or five years and just felt it was time to go. At that time, I had been there long enough and the players needed someone different.

‘Something different was needed to get the club over the line to become county champions which is what happened and that was great. Now, I’m just delighted to be back.’

During O’Sullivan’s absence, current Cork senior football manager Ronan McCarthy arrived in Rosscarbery and built on the foundations laid by the previous manager to deliver a first ever county senior football title in 2016. 

Moore and Crowley’s tenure as joint-managers saw the West Cork club return to the last four of the 2017 championship only to come up short 3-14 to 0-14 against an emerging St Finbarr’s outfit.

Now, Carbery Rangers will begin another odyssey against local rivals Clonakilty on April 15th, a team they easily brushed aside 2-15 to 1-4 at the same juncture twelve months ago.

‘I wasn’t too far away from it (football) in that I was helping out with Dohenys and still involved watching championship games anyway,’ O’Sullivan commented. 

‘I had my finger on the pulse as such but Ross definitely improved a lot and eventually got what they wanted out the championship in 2016. 

‘I was absolutely delighted as a Ross man, it didn’t matter who was in charge or what the scenario was as regards myself. It was absolutely brilliant to win that county. 

‘Hopefully, things might run our way again this year.’