Tuesday news review: Ronan McGuckin and the men of Kilcoo

Enda McGinley, surprised to see Ronan McGuckin step aside

NOT surprisingly, Ronan McGuckin’s name adorned the back pages of the dailies this morning, following his decision to take a weekend off work.

One publication, in an interesting line of inquiry, sought to look for suitable replacements for the job. The names they threw up? Mickey Harte and Peter Canavan. Ronan McGuckin must feel quite proud of himself as the National Media believe that only intercounty managers can replace him.
McGinley did say that McGuckin had told them long ago that he wouldn’t manage against his own club.

Ronan Scott has the same sort of agreement in Gaelic Life that if Derry ever reach the All-Ireland final he must be allowed the week off. Unsurprisingly, the company had no problem meeting that outrageous demand.

Likewise, Enda McGinley told one panting hack that he was shocked and disappointed that McGuckin, was going to take some time to himself while Errigal clash with Ballinderry.

McGinley said that they kind of knew that they might meet down the line, though maybe his suprise is not that McGuckin stepped down, but that Errigal even made it this far. Weren’t Dromore favourites to win Tyrone?

Kilcoo man up

And finally, Kilcoo’s championship victory over Mayobridge was a tribute to the maturity of the O’Rahilly’s.

Darragh O’Hanlon is one of the young stars on the team, but you wouldn’t know it. He’s built like a line-backer, plays like Conor Deegan, but is barely out of nappies, having played Vocational Schools football two years ago.

Yet he put on his best big-man accent told the papers today, “We are all men on this team.”
No problem getting served round Kilcoo then.