Ronayne: There is no conflict of interest between Cork job and Mourneabbey role

WHILE new Cork ladies’ senior football manager Shane Ronayne is also the current boss of Mourneabbey, he has assured his county players that there will be no conflict of interest.

The Mitchelstown man’s appointment to the top role in Cork ladies’ football was ratified at a recent county board meeting and he has been handed a three-year term.

Ronayne, who succeeds Ephie Fitzgerald in the hot seat, boasts an impressive managerial CV. It includes his incredible success with Mourneabbey who, since he took charge in 2014, have won six Cork and Munster titles and back-to-back All-Ireland senior club crowns (2018 and ’19).

'We'll make a decision at the end of the year'

Will new @CorkLGFA senior football manager @spronayne continue on as @MourneabbeyLFC manager past this season?

With @accesscu_irl

?️ Full chat ➡️ https://t.co/IU3bMeJQ1E pic.twitter.com/Qp3J3DuPTo

— Kieran McCarthy (@KieranMcC_SS) September 29, 2021

The new Cork boss is still in charge of Mourneabbey who supply a number of players to the senior inter-county panel, but Ronayne insists he will pick the best players based on their ability, not because of their club.

‘If I am with a team, I am with a team,’ the new Cork manager told The Star Sport Podcast.

‘There could be talks of a conflict of interest and all that, but it doesn’t matter who you are or what team you are with in Cork, as far as I am concerned if you are good enough to play for Cork then you are going to be playing. If you need to be better, then you won’t be playing. That’s how I have always operated.’

The former Tipperary ladies’ senior football boss will continue as Mourneabbey manager this season and his club side has enjoyed a strong start to their county senior championship campaign.

‘I have been very busy before. I had Mourneabbey and Tipp going and I had Mitchelstown men as well so I had three teams on the go, and I am well versed working like that,’ he explained. ‘We’ll make a decision at the end of the season with Mourneabbey as to how we can go forward. It might not be possible to do both and if that’s the way I’m sure no-one in Mourneabbey will stand in my way. We will review it at the end of the season.’

Ronayne, who works as a teacher at Coláiste Dun Iascaigh in Cahir, enjoyed a very successful reign as Tipperary ladies’ football manager, too. In four years with the Premier County he guided them to two All-Ireland intermediate crowns in 2017 and 2019 and took them into the senior championship.

He also led the county from Division 3 in the national league up to Division 1.