The future of Dublin hurling remained uncertain last night as news emerged of the continuing problems besetting the appointment of a senior county manager.
Nearly six months after Michael O'Grady stepped down from his four-year term, the county board has still failed to confirm a successor, despite the recommendation from a six-man selection committee at last Monday night's county board meeting. Pad Joe Whelahan, a former Offaly player and manager of 1998 All-Ireland winning club side Birr, had been recommended and subsequently accepted in a narrow vote by the management committee. But that decision was then blocked by a prominent county board official, and Whelahan remains "totally in the dark" as to what role he may now play.
O'Grady stepped down after Dublin's championship defeat to Kilkenny early last June, and acting county chairman Terry Roche instilled a six-man committee to seek out a new county manager. But it appears no decision will be made until after a new county chairman is appointed at next Monday's annual convention, and with that, the new manager is unlikely to be in place until the New Year.
The county panel, meanwhile, has not had one training session since the summer. The appointment of Whelahan, the father of Offaly players Brian, Simon and Barry, had been widely anticipated recently, but it's now unclear if his name will be allowed to go forward again.
Elsewhere, there continues to be some uncertainty about who will be captain of Kerry football team next summer when they begin the campaign to retain the All-Ireland senior title. The honour has traditionally gone to a member of the team that wins the county championship in the previous year, but following Dr Crokes' unexpected one-point victory over An Ghaeltacht in the recent county final, the matter has hit a slight stumbling block.
The Killarney club had no representative on last year's All-Ireland winning Kerry team, and is unlikely to field a player next summer. In previous years, county champions without a representative on the panel have nominated a neighbouring club with an intercounty player.
After repeated efforts to get tomorrow's postponed National Football League tie refixed for the New Year, Kerry will now be forced to field a much-weakened team for the visit of Dublin. But win or lose, there will be a night of celebration in Tralee as the county board will honour the 145 surviving All-Ireland Senior medal holders in football and four in handball at the Millennium Banquet, in the Brandon Hotel. The team for tomorrow afternoon's clash with Dublin will at least be boosted by the return of All Stars Mike Frank Russell and Liam Hassett. Both were due to be involved with their club, Laune Rangers, in the Mid-Kerry final against Beaufort, but that game has now been postponed. Daragh O Se, however, will be involved with An Ghaeltacht's meeting with Dingle in the West Kerry decider this weekend. Club-mates Tomas O Se, Aodan MacGearailt and Dara O Cinneide join the absentee list. With both Kerry and Dublin yet to score a victory after the first two rounds, this game does take on some new relevance.
Dublin will also be missing a number of players due to injury, but manager Tom Carr does welcome back Na Fianna representatives Tomo Lynch, Senan Connell, Dessie Farrell and Jason Sherlock.
