Cloonan and Curley set to join Anthony Cunningham’s Galway hurling backroom team

Former All-Star Eugene Cloonan and full-time college GAA coach Damian Curley are set to become part of Anthony Cunningham's backroom set-up when the Galway management team for 2014 is ratified next Monday night.

But there is growing speculation that Tom Helebert, who came on board with Cunningham two seasons ago, may step down. The other member of the coaching team, Mattie Kenny, resigned following the All-Ireland qualifier loss to Clare.

Cloonan, a free-scoring forward for Galway and Athenry, has been involved with Galway underage teams since his retirement from the inter-county scene five years ago.

Curley, who is the GAA officer at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, won an All-Ireland club hurling championship with Kiltormer and played at several levels for Galway.

Underage teams
He, like Cloonan, has worked with Galway underage teams and has been heavily involved in the Fitzgibbon Cup for many years.

Meanwhile, there is strong speculation that former All-Ireland senior winner Paul Clancy will be part of Alan Mulholland’s management team when the Galway football boss comes for ratification before the county committee on Monday night.

The Moycullen clubman served as a selector with Justin McNulty in Laois and more recently was manager of beaten All-Ireland club finalists Garrycastle, while he was also part of the management team as the Galway U-21s won the All-Ireland title earlier this year.

He will join Donal Ó Flatharta and victorious U-21 manager Alan Flynn, who have been on board the management team since Mulholland took charge two years ago, as the Tribesmen bid to end Mayo’s stranglehold in Connacht.