Down secretary Donal McCormack has disputed reports that the county are about to appoint former players Ross Carr and DJ Kane to the vacant management position with the senior footballers. Saying the sub-committee appointed to look into filling the vacancy had yet to reach a conclusion, McCormack said the decision wouldn't be made until next month's meeting of the county board.

"We're talking to various people but the reports are three and four jumps ahead of where we are at the moment. We would hope to have this sorted out for the meeting on October 13th or 14th. People don't want to talk about the position while clubs are still involved in county championships. We've sounded out a few but no-one wants to commit themselves at this stage."

Such a timetable still leaves the way clear for Carr and Kane. Both are still involved with clubs in the Monaghan county championship: Carr's Castleblayney Faughs outfit are in the semi-finals whereas Kane's Magheracloone have yet to negotiate a quarter-final replay.

Carr managed the Down minors for two years whereas Kane captained the county to their most recent All-Ireland senior success, in 1994.

Meanwhile in Cork, speculation that Gerald McCarthy is under consideration for the vacant position of Cork hurling manager has caused some surprise. Just a week after John Allen had stepped down after two years in charge, former Waterford manager and Cork coach McCarthy has been associated with the post.

Some sources have pointed out that the five-times All-Ireland winner, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, was particularly busy with club commitments - he is chair of the St Finbarr's finance committee - and unlikely to have the time for the onerous task of managing the county seniors.

But he is well regarded within the county executive and it has been suggested he meets two criteria: one, his extensive inter-county experience at senior level and, two, an outside perspective after four years of a very tight-knit management group, which successfully coped with the handover of reins from Donal O'Grady to Allen.

Still strongly favoured to take over is former county goalkeeper Ger Cunningham, a selector with the outgoing management team.

One reservation is Cunningham has not managed a team at any level but Allen's experience had been confined to the St Finbarr's senior footballers as well as working in the backroom team of Jimmy Barry-Murphy and as a selector with O'Grady.

Cunningham said yesterday he preferred not to comment. Coincidentally, he, McCarthy, Allen and O'Grady are all members of the St Finbarr's club.

Still on the managerial front, Carlow chair Eddie Byrne has said the county will have difficulty filling its football vacancy until similar positions have been filled in neighbouring counties.

"Really we will not have much chance of naming a replacement until the Offaly and Laois posts are filled. We've done weeks of hard work but with no resolution. They keep putting us off. We spoke to several of our county players as to their preference for a replacement for Liam Hayes, but so far our approaches for a potential replacement have resulted in three rejections while another unnamed two have been putting us off for some time."

Byrne added: "We are seeking a manager who would be very strong on discipline while we also hoped five or six people from clubs would also become involved with the new manager when appointed."

Still in Carlow, the GAA will have a stand featuring information on Gaelic games at the National and World Ploughing Championships at Grangeford in Tullow later this week. It is intended to distribute over 80,000 posters, games-development literature and promotional material to the expected 20,000 visitors a day to the GAA stand.

RTÉ commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh will be at the Welcome Inn, Castlebar, on Wednesday of next week, October 4th, to address a meeting of the Mayo GAA club Irish Language Officers (Oifigigh na Gaeilge).