Micko at the helm of Clare senior football?

AS reports persist throughout the county this week that Micko Dwyer is the frontrunner to be the next Clare senior football manager, both the Kerry legend and Clare GAA chairman Michael O’Neill have denied any official contact has been made.

“I didn’t hear anything about it,”Micko told The Clare Champion on Wednesday. Asked if he was contemplating a return to inter-county management, having taken a break this year, he replied, “I have made no decision yet”.

Clare chairman Michael O’Neill said O’Dwyer was not “formally approached by anybody. “There is much speculation and Micko’s name is one of five or six being linked to the position,” he added.
Despite the Kerry man’s outright denial, The Clare Champion understands that unofficial approaches have been made to the man that guided Kerry to eight All-Ireland senior title before going on to achieve success with Laois, Kildare and Wicklow.

Reports that members of the Clare senior panel have made demands to the board executive in relation to who should or should not be considered for the post have been denied by team captain Alan Clohessy. “There has been no formal meeting amongst the players and no meeting with the board,” he said this week.

While much of the speculation concerns O’Dwyer, the names of John Kennedy, a former manager of the Clare senior side, Limerick-based Liam Kearns, who managed the Shannonsiders for some time, and Galway man, Tom Newell, who has been involved with the Clare minors are also being linked with the position.

Those who favour an inside appointment have put forward names such as Dermot Coughlan (Kilmurry-Ibrickane), Pat Hanrahan (Doonbeg, a member of the selection committee in 1992 when Clare won the Munster title), Colin Lynch (Lissycasey), Aidan Moloney (Kilmurry-Ibrickane), Noel Roche (Kilkee), Colm Collins (Cratloe), Michael Neylon (Miltown) and Kieran O’Mahoney (Doonbeg) for consideration.

The September meeting of Clare GAA takes place next Monday next and it is expected a decision will be made on how to proceed with the appointment of a management team to succeed Micheál McDermott, who recently stepped down after three years at the helm.

On Wednesday night, an open forum was held at the West County Hotel, Ennis, to which club chairmen and secretaries had been invited to discuss Clare football. A summary of what happened at last night’s meeting is to be presented to the clubs ahead of Monday’s board meeting.