*Michael Neylon. Photograph: Natasha Barton.
MICHAEL NEYLON has announced his resignation as manager of the Clare U20 football team.
Neylon was ratified to continue for a sixth year at the helm at the September meeting of the Clare County Board but has confirmed in a statement to The Clare Echo that he has decided to step down as manager.
He told The Clare Echo, “Due to circumstances outside of my control I have decided, with regret, to resign from my position as Clare U20 football manager.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute working with our progressive Clare footballers, all of our management team members, sponsors, Clare Football Supporters Club and County board officials over the past five years. It has been my privilege to be involved with two U20 Development League O’Connor Cup winning teams and to be part of a series of memorable championship campaigns,” Neylon outlined.
Future roles with the county were not ruled out by the Miltown Malbay native. “Assisting our players in their journey to become elite sportspeople at senior intercounty level for county Clare was our primary objective as a management team. Every moment we have spent with every player on the five-year journey has been rewarding and enriching. I wish Clare football continued success and look forward to working with the county again in the future”.
A two-time Clare SFC winning manager of St Joseph’s Miltown and a former selector with the Clare senior footballers under Mick O’Dwyer and Colm Collins, Neylon was the initial leading candidate to become the county senior football manager following Mark Fitzgerald’s surprise exit as manager on September 13th.
In the subsequent process which followed to appoint Fitzgerald’s successor, The Clare Echo understands that top brass within Clare GAA encouraged the U20 manager to throw his name in the mix. As previously reported by The Clare Echo, he assembled a proposed ticket which included Jerome Stack as coach with ex Clare footballers David Russell and Kevin Harnett as selectors.
Ex Kerry manager Peter Keane has been put forward for recommendation to become the next Clare senior manager. That is following the work of the four-person interview committee comprised of Clare GAA Head of Operations, Deirdre Murphy, Clare GAA Chairman Kieran Keating, former Clare minor manager Dermot Coughlan and ex Clare forward David Tubridy.
Under the Miltown Malbay man’s watch, Clare reached the semi-finals in 2020, 2022 and 2023 where they were defeated by Cork in year one and to the Kingdom in their other penultimate clashes with the 2023 tie going to extra time. A quarter-final loss was recorded to Waterford in 2021 while they prevailed in quarter-final clashes against Waterford (2020) and Tipperary (2022 and 2023).
This year saw a move away from the knockout format of the U20 provincial football championship and saw Clare play five championship games in Munster, winning two against Waterford and Limerick but losing to Tipperary, Kerry and Cork which prevented them from making the semi-finals.
Among those to have been part of Neylon’s U20 management teams were Eoin Murray (O’Currys), Sean O’Brien (St Joseph’s Miltown), Colm Clancy (Corofin), David Geaney (Dingle), Martin Guerin (Liscannor), Diarmuid Carroll and Oscar O’Dwyer.
Clare GAA were informed of Neylon’s decision on Sunday evening.
