Justin McCarthy will continue as Waterford senior hurling manager for another year. His reappointment for a sixth successive season was ratified at last night's county board meeting, with McCarthy approved for at least the 2007 season.
The hurling management will in fact return en bloc, with McCarthy's backroom selection team of Seamie Hannon, Nickey Cashin and Kevin Ryan also continuing for another year. One additional selector, Michael Ryan, was also announced.
There was speculation that the county board may opt for a change, but in the end McCarthy did enough to convince them he was the man for another year - having guided Waterford to this year's All-Ireland semi-finals, where they narrowly fell to Cork.
Beaten All-Ireland finalists Cork are the one of the last high-profile hurling counties to confirm their management for next year (All-Ireland champions Kilkenny are also still awaiting word on Brian Cody's intentions - although he is widely expected to stay on). Since John Allen's surprise decision to step down, a six-man sub-committee are currently interviewing candidates and expected to make an announcement before the end of the month.
Elsewhere, the managerial crisis in Mayo reaches a head this evening when county board officials sit down with Mickey Moran at a specially arranged meeting in Sligo. Moran's cohort John Morrison last week informed the county board of his decision to retire, and as the duo were effectively a "team appointment", the board have insisted on further discussions with Moran before deciding if he can still lead the team for another year.
Morrison has also requested to be present at this evening's meeting to outline in detail the reasons behind his resignation. It's still unclear at this stage whether Moran still wants another year in charge but already talk of successors has been circulating with former player and selector Liam McHale announcing his willingness to step in should any vacancy arise.
Finally, the troubled Dublin football championship should get back on track this week depending on the outcome of this evening's meeting of the GAC.
Kilmacud Crokes have been called in to explain their failure to fulfil the semi-final fixture against UCD last Thursday as scheduled, a decision which was apparently tied in with the postponement of the other semi-final involving Na Fianna and St Vincent's. That game was deferred after St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh unsuccessfully appealed Na Fianna's quarter-final win over the eligibility of Gary Mullins.
Elsewhere, All-Ireland champions Cork lead the way with 11 nominations for this year's Camogie All Star awards. Included in the list of candidates are Cork's Gemma O'Connor and Jennifer O'Leary, both of whom are going for their third All-Star award in as many years.
CAMOGIE ALL STAR NOMINATIONS: Goalkeepers: C Ryan (Kilkenny), J Delaney (Tipperary), E Butler (Dublin). Backs: A Codd (Wexford), C O'Loughlin (Wexford), A Kelly (Galway), R Glynn (Galway), A McCluskey (Dublin), A Fitzpatrick (Dublin), J O'Callaghan (Cork), A Geary (Cork), M O'Connor (Cork), R Buckley (Cork), A O'Regan (Cork), G Dillon Maher (Kilkenny), M Shortt (Tipperary), P Fogarty (Tipperary), S Kelly (Tipperary), D Corcoran (Clare), M Casey (Limerick), G Connolly (Antrim). Midfield: C Kenny (Roscommon), L Linane (Clare), M Morkan (Offaly), G O'Connor (Cork), B Corkery (Cork), K Kelly (Wexford). Forwards: L O'Hara (Dublin), A Lyng (Waterford), S O'Carroll (Kildare), A Walsh (Cork), J O'Leary (Cork), E Dillon (Cork), M Deasy (Cork), M O'Connor (Kilkenny), I Kennedy (Kilkenny), K Parrock (Wexford), E Hayden (Tipperary), C Grogan (Tipperary), J Ryan (Tipperary), V Curtin (Galway), B Hanney (Galway), S Keane (Galway), K McAuley (Derry), G McGoldrick (Derry).
