KERRY MANAGERIAL CRISIS: Ian O'Riordan describes the scenes in Killarney yesterday as Páidí Ó Sé officially announced the end of his eight-year reign as Kerry manager.
In coming to terms with the end of his reign as Kerry football manager, Páidí Ó Sé produced an acceptance speech that was surprisingly layered, and where criticisms were thinly veiled. Sure there were good times and he's proud of what he's done, but somebody had made a mistake in not giving him the chance to go on for another year.
It meant an uneasy 40 minutes for the horde of assembled media at Killarney's Gleneagle Hotel yesterday afternoon, not helped by the fact that those also in attendance were clearly close friends of Ó Sé. But then the executioner's face is always hidden.
"The battle is now over," he started. "We'll return our swords to the scabbards."
Men of far higher positions have addressed their fall with similar words, but in Ó Sé's case it wasn't entirely true. Before returning his sword he made a series of references to the controversies of recent days, which started with a phone call last Thursday night from Kerry County Board chairman, Seán Walsh, informing Ó Sé his days as Kerry football manager were over.
"I would be disappointed in the manner it was carried out," he said, starting his departure from a brief prepared statement.
"In fairness to the county chairman he had a job to do. He did it, indirectly or whatever, but he had a job to do, to inform me that I was no longer there. It's no different than me having to inform a player that he's not going to be part of the team, the panel, or that he wasn't going to start.
"But to be official on it, after the Tyrone game my contract was over. So that wasn't a decision for the chairman. It was a decision for the executive, and then he had to go away and decide what way it should be put before the delegates. But I had no contact in any shape or form from the county executive, apart from one officer, a close friend of mine.
"So there was no contacting at all before Thursday. Now I've made many mistakes in my life. So many that I've forgotten. But on this occasion they made the mistake."
He expanded to say that some members of the county executive might also want to look at their term of office, and ask themselves if their time was also up. All the time he was barely camouflaging his criticism of how his eight-year term had been concluded.
"So part of the hurt I have is the way there was no contact made with me, in any shape or form, and if anyone comes out tomorrow on behalf of the county board or otherwise, I've a man on my left that will look after that."
The latter point was a reference to his solicitor Peter Callery, who along with one of his closest friends, Liam Higgins, and cousin Tom Long had sat next to Ó Sé throughout the press conference.
