Some of the last managerial vacancies in football and hurling have now been filled. Confirmation that Brian Cody would be returning for a record 18th season as Kilkenny hurling manager was of no surprise, although the appointment of eight-time All-Ireland winner Eddie Brennan as the county’s under-21 manager perhaps signals his intention for a more senior role somewhere down the road.
For Cody, now 61 and recently retired from his position as a school principal, winning an 11th All-Ireland title this season clearly hasn’t dampened his appetite for more, and he will now look to extend that remarkable record, which also includes 14 Leinster titles and eight National League crowns.
Brennan, who retired in 2012, takes over the Kilkenny under-21 position from Brian Ryan, whose team was beaten by Wexford in this year's Leinster final. It marks the first step into county management for Brennan, as he looks to restore some of Kilkenny's dominance in the grade they last won in 2008. He is expected to continue in his role as a regular panellist on The Sunday Game.
Limerick
Reigning All-Ireland under-21 hurling champions Limerick have also announced John Kiely and his backroom team will remain in position through to the end of their 2016 campaign.
London announced the appointment of former Wexford captain Ciarán Deely as their new football manager. Deely, who has been serving as both a selector and trainer with London in 2015, replaces Paul Coggins, who stood aside in September after overseeing five years of London’s most successful period.
Under Coggins, London beat both Sligo and Leitrim on their way to a first ever Connacht senior football final, in 2013. Deely was captain when Wexford reached the 2008 All-Ireland semifinal, and has previously worked as a fitness coach with QPR and Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters.
After moving to London, he transferred to the Kingdom Kerry Gaels club, with whom he won a senior county championship in 2013.
Meanwhile, considerable uncertainty remains about whether or not Anthony Cunningham will stay in charge of the Galway hurlers into 2016, his fifth season, as that process is still in the hands of the mediators brought in to broker some sort of peace deal with the players, who had recently declared their lack of confidence in him.
Boston
Cunningham was due to take charge of the Galway hurlers for a trip to Boston for the Fenway Hurling Classic last this month, where they will face Dublin, although it’s now been announced he won’t be making the trip.
No such uncertainty over the appointment of Stephen Rochford as the new Mayo football manager, although he is still in the process of agreeing his backroom team before being officially rubberstamped.
In the meantime Rochford will continue to oversee reigning All-Ireland club football champions Corofin, who are now looking to retain their Connacht club title when taking on Castlebar Mitchels on Sunday week.
Rochford is also set to meet a familiar face in his first match in charge once that Mayo position is ratified, as their first competitive game of 2016 will be against an NUI Galway side in the FBD League. NUIG will be managed by former Mayo star Maurice Sheridan.
Mayo’s first game against another county will be against a Roscommon side, where Kevin McStay has taken over as joint manager with Fergal O’Donnell.
Finally, the replay of the Galway SHC final between Craughwell and Sarsfields will take place on Sunday week, November 22nd, at Pearse Stadium, with a 1.45pm start.
