Search for next Cork ladies' senior football manager narrowed down to three candidates

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

CORK LGFA chiefs hope to have news on the identity of the county’s next senior football manager for next week’s county board meeting.

Earlier this month Cork LGFA sought expressions of interest for a number of its inter-county teams, including the top senior job.

Ephie Fitzgerald has been Cork ladies’ senior football manager for the past six seasons, leading the county to one senior All-Ireland and three Division 1 league titles, and The Southern Star understands that the Nemo Rangers man is in the frame to continue in the role.

Both John Cleary and Shane Ronayne are also being linked to the job. Cleary, currently involved as a selector with the Castlehaven senior football team, previously had a very successful reign in charge of the Cork minor ladies football set-up. He also managed Éire Óg’s senior ladies football team and he knows the landscape well.

Ronayne, the current Waterford senior football manager, is also very well known in Cork ladies football circles for his incredible success with Mourneabbey, which includes back-to-back All-Ireland club titles in 2019. He previously managed the Tipperary ladies' senior football team, too.

Cork LGFA has set up a five-person committee to select the county’s management teams for 2022. This committee includes the Chairman, Secretary, Development Officer, Childrens Officer and a former player.

The Southern Star understands the hope is that this committee will have news for next Monday (27th) night’s county board meeting, but that’s not a certainty.

With the county championships up and running, there’s an urgency to get the management team for 2022 in place.