*Peter Keane.
EX KERRY manager Peter Keane was unanimously ratified as the new manager of the Clare senior footballers at Tuesday’s County Board meeting while senior officials in Clare GAA have said there is “no rancour” with candidates that unsuccessfully applied for the role.
Kildysart’s John Meade proposed the appointment of the Caherciveen man which was seconded by Clondegad’s Seamus O’Reilly who pointed out Keane’s connection to the Clondegad club.
O’Reilly told the delegates that Keane’s cousin captained the Clondegad club to the Clare junior title in 1969.
Putting forward Keane’s name for ratification, chairman Kieran Keating said “he has a few of his backroom team appointed and he is working on a few others, physios and medical”, before asking if anyone had any queries.
When the matter came up for discussion, St Joseph’s Miltown delegate, Michael McDonagh referenced the subsequent resignation of Michael Neylon as Clare U20 manager, he had been ratified to continue in the role for a fifth season at the September meeting of the County Board.
McDonagh a former Chairman of Clare GAA stated, “Michael Neylon has been involved with Clare for seventeen years. He is a great servant and a very loyal man. It should be acknowledged here the work he has done for Clare over that period of time. He was manager of the 20s over the last five years when they won two O’Connor cups and most of the players who played last year under Mark Fitzgerald were trained by Michael. He is loyal, he is honest and he is going to be a great loss”.
He went on to pay tribute to Declan Downes “who has been involved in Clare football for the last ten years. He has stepped away as well and he could have walked away last year when Colm (Collins) stepped away. He was the only Clare man together with Jim Marrinan, who stood up last year and that should be acknowledged here tonight also”. McDonagh went on to wish Eoin Curtin, a selector with Keane in the newly appointed management,
“I concur with that. Michael has been a very loyal and dedicated and influential servant to Clare football, particularly in the last five years. I am disappointed that he felt he couldn’t continue in the role when we didn’t select him for the senior position”, chairman Kieran Keating said.
McDonagh replied, “He withdrew due to circumstances outside his control”.
Head of Operations with Clare GAA, Deirdre Murphy told the meeting, “while we are delighted with the decision we have made, this is on amicable terms and it’s probably good for Michael to try something else now. There is no rancour there. There is nobody in this board that has anything but time and admiration for Michael Neylon for what he has done for Clare football and I would hope, given the meeting I had with him yesterday, that he is not lost to Clare football forever. It’s fair enough for him from his own perspective, to take a bit of time off”.
