Ronayne set to take the reigns as Cork ladies' senior football manager

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

SHANE Ronayne is set to become the new Cork ladies’ senior football manager, as The Southern Star revealed on Friday evening.

Mitchelstown man Ronayne will succeed Ephie Fitzgerald who held the position for the past six seasons and led the county to one senior All-Ireland and three Division 1 league titles.

Ronayne, Fitzgerald and John Cleary were the three names in the hat for the top job in Cork ladies’ football, with interviews held this past week. Fitzgerald, however, did not put himself forward to be interviewed by the five-person selection committee that will now recommend Ronayne as their preferred candidate at Monday night’s county board meeting.

BREAKING NEWS: Just heard from a very reliable source that Shane Ronayne is set to be the new Cork ladies senior football manager.
Ronayne, well known for his work with Mourneabbey, will take over Ephie Fitzgerald who was in charge for past six seasons. pic.twitter.com/2E58MiZhIs

— Kieran McCarthy (@KieranMcC_SS) September 24, 2021

Clearing the way for his new role, Ronayne stepped down as Waterford senior football manager on Friday night after one season in charge. Waterford GAA confirmed this with a statement: ‘Shane Ronayne has tonight informed the Waterford County Board that he has decided to step down as Waterford Senior Football Manager.’

Ronayne is well known, too, for his incredible exploits with Mourneabbey’s senior ladies football team that has dominated the Cork scene in recent times and also won back-to-back All-Ireland senior titles in 2018 and 2019. He knows the Cork ladies' football landscape extremely well, too. Previously, he was Tipperary ladies' football manager for four years and guided the Premier County to two All-Ireland intermediate titles (2017 and 2019) and took the county to Division 1.