MICHAEL O'GRADY, the experienced hurling coach, last night denied reports that he has been installed as Dublin's new hurling manager.
O'Grady's career as a hurling manager and coach has yielded success in Tipperary, Limerick, Wexford and Antrim. But last night he emphasised he has not been officially approached to take the Dublin job.
"I love hurling and I might be interested but, still, looking around at what has been happening to hurling managers like Nicky Brennan, Mattie Murphy and Tom Ryan, the pressures are great. I would have to think deeply about it. Now that I am back settled in Dublin, it would be good to be involved again," said O'Grady, a former Christian Brother.
O'Grady coached the Tipperary minor team to win the 1976 All-Ireland, and the Tipperary seniors to win the National League three years later. He also coached Limerick to National League success in 1984 and was involved with Wexford's Oireachas triumph. It was also significant that Antrim reached the All-Ireland senior hurling final in 1989 when he gave Jimmy Nelson a helping hand.
At club level, he steered Ballyboden St Enda's to their first success in the Dublin senior hurling league division one, three years ago.
Meanwhile, Kilkenny last night reappointed Brennan as the county's hurling manager, and for a two-year term at that. Brennan survived a secret ballot after his name was put up for ratification before the county board by the management Committee.
During what were sometimes heated discussions, one delegate tried to make a counter proposal and offered the name of George Leady for the position.
In Limerick, the full county board met for the first time since the county's hurlers lost to Wexford in the All-Ireland, final. Following controversy over the team's behaviour in the pre-match ceremonies, it was believed that manager Tom Ryan would be summoned before a full meeting of the board. The officer board had summoned Ryan on Monday night to answer a number of questions.
However, board chairman Brendan Danaher met with Ryan before the meeting and the board decided to postpone any discussion on the future of the county's hurlers to a later date.
