O'Sullivan returns as Ross football boss

Carbery Rangers fill hot-seat but several vacancies still remain at senior West Cork clubs

BY DENIS HURLEY

A NUMBER of senior clubs in West Cork are hoping that Santa will be bringing them new managers for Christmas.

Almost all of the men in charge of the teams taking part in the 2017 championship have departed, with the only exception likely to be at Castlehaven, where it is expected that Liam Collins will remain in the hot-seat again for 2018. The former county winner took charge of the Haven seniors – minus the inured Brian Hurley – for the first time in 2017 and led them to the quarter-final of the Cork SFC where they lost to Carbery Rangers.

Elsewhere, it’s all change, though with more outs than ins. One of the notable appointments is that of Micheál ‘Haulie’ O’Sullivan, who is once again set to take over the reins at Carbery Rangers.

The former Cork midfielder was in charge from 2012-15 inclusive, reaching two semi-finals and the 2014 final. When he stepped down, new Cork coach Ronan McCarthy led Ross to the title in 2016 and when he departed, Maurice Moore and Shane Crowley took over for the year just gone before opting out at the end of the campaign, in which the club once again reached the last four.

While Newcestown had two outside managers in 2017, Aidan Dorgan in football and Mickey ‘Da’ Fitzgerald in hurling, they have gone in-house for their appointments.

Tom Wilson returns to the football set-up after a year away and he is joined by Pat Kenneally and Conor Condon. Meanwhile, Jim O’Sullivan will take charge of the hurlers, completing a unique double as it means the former football boss will be the first to have led the club in both codes at senior level. His selectors are yet to be decided.

Newcestown’s neighbours Bandon are still searching for a senior hurling manager after Niall O’Halloran’s decision to step down. The Ballinhassig native will be part of the Cork minor hurling set-up next year.

It’s a similar situation across the rest of the division’s top football sides. Dohenys are another club on the look-out for a new manager after Tim Buckley’s decision to step back after one season at the helm. Dohenys struggled in the championship and unless they win a game in the 2018 Cork SFC, they will be relegated. The club is busy trying to recruit a new manager and is hopeful of news quite soon.

Clonakilty boss Paul Holland stepped aside after the extra-time defeat to Ballincollig in the Kelleher Shield final. The Timoleague man did good work in his two years in charge and while his replacement is yet to be confirmed, there is a good platform upon which to build.

O’Donovan Rossa are also still searching for a replacement for Ned English, and Ilen Rovers are in the market too following the decision of Edward Sheehy to step down.