Jason Sherlock’s potential appointment as Monaghan manager back on the table

Former Dublin footballer believe to have firmed up possible back room team of Kevin Nolan and Dermot McArdle

Dublin selector Jason Sherlock and former manager Jim Gavin. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Dublin selector Jason Sherlock and former manager Jim Gavin. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Jason Sherlock’s potential appointment as Monaghan football manager is believed to be back on the table in the county. Reports linking the former Dublin All-Ireland winning player and coach surfaced at the end of July but the prospect appeared to have faded at the exploratory stage.

With no progress having been made since, Sherlock is again engaging with county officials, having firmed up a possible back room team of another former Dublin All-Ireland winner, Kevin Nolan, now settled in Monaghan and playing with Cremartin, and former county player Dermot McArdle from Castleblayney is also being mentioned.

When the initial contact with Sherlock looked to have come to nothing, the front-runner became Mark Counihan, who managed the county minors to the 2019 Ulster title.

His management team comprised Paul McIver, who has previous county experience and an exceptional record at club level in Ulster, highly regarded coach Colm Nally, who worked with Meath in recent years, and former Ballybay manager Colin Malone.

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That trail too appears to have also gone cold and whereas there was speculation that Monaghan native Brendan Hackett, who in recent years took Ballymun Kickhams to the 2020 Dublin title and who has had intercounty experience, albeit a while ago, with Longford and Offaly, was under consideration.

The position became vacant when outgoing manager Séamus McEnaney stepped down in the wake of the All-Ireland qualifier defeat by Mayo.

Seán Moran

Seán Moran

Seán Moran is GAA Correspondent of The Irish Times