Unanimous support for McDermott

AS revealed in last week’s Clare Champion, Micheál McDermott is the new Clare senior football manager.
His appointment, for a term of one year, was unanimously ratified at Tuesday night’s meeting. His backroom team will comprise James Foran (O’Curry’s) and former Mayo footballer Liam McHale, with one more to be appointed at a later stage.
Presenting the recommendation to the meeting, board chairman Michael O’Neill said a meeting had taken place between himself, four other members of the executive, and former player Frankie Griffin.
“There were four candidates. On Friday last, Aidan Moloney stepped down from the race leaving Micheál McDermott, Michael Lillis and Ger Lawlor.”
Proposing the appointment, PJ McGuane, a member of the committee that interviewed the candidates, said that every effort had been made in making the decision. “I would ask all footballers who have ambitions to wear the county jersey to come on board. We are where we are and our ambition must be to win Division 4. There is a carrot there in that our first round championship opponents Waterford are there and if we get over that, we will have Limerick, who are also in the division. I am asking all out GAA people to throw their weight behind the footballers and all of our team.”
Michael O’Neill added “He will have the full backing of this board.”
“We fully realise where Clare football is at the moment. It’s time everybody got behind the team and management. I believe it will happen,” he added.
According to board treasurer Bernard Keane, “Everybody who was in the race was interviewed twice and these interviews were followed up with phonecalls. The people interviewed have great integrity and a vision for Clare football. I was very impressed with Liam McHale and his knowledge of Clare football”.
Miltown’s Noel Walsh told the meeting that McDermott has an exemplary record. “The objective has to be to get promotion and to get to the Munster final,” he stated, adding that Cratloe manager Colm Collins could be considered for the vacancy still to be filled. “He has rejuvenated football in a hurling area,” according to Walsh.