Chairman confirms interview process will continue

According to Meath GAA Co Committee chairman Barney Allen, the interview process to find a new Meath senior football manager will continue for another week at least. It is not expected that any announcement will be made until the next Co Committee meeting on Wednesday 3rd November. “Interviews are on-going and it will be another week, or maybe a fortnight, before the manager is announced, no decision has been taken yet,” Allen told the Meath Chronicle on Tuesday. “We have interviewed people and we will continue that process, but we have other people to interview yet,” he added. It emerged on Monday night that there had been a joint-approach from Liam Harnan and Seamus McEnaney for the position. Both Harnan and McEnaney were interviewed last Saturday when they put forward their plans. It was proposed that McEnaney would be the team manager with Harnan filling in as an assistant. McEnaney would also bring with him the backroom team he worked with during his term as Monaghan manager, Paul Grimley and Martin McElkennon. Last week McEnaney told the Meath Chronicle that he would be attending an interview “to hear what they have to say.” While McEnaney would bring extensive experience as an inter-county manager Harnan could draw on his knowledge of the local scene. “The people who are involved in this are what Meath football needs at this point,” Harnan told the Meath Chronicle on Tuesday morning. “I don’t think an outside manager is the be-all and end-all of it, I think the players are ready for something different, a new approach. Those involved would bring a huge amount of experience and I think they would bring quality,” he said. “We’d certainly come to the job with a very open mind and I think the players would give an even greater response to that type of a set up. There is no guarantee that the package will be put forward by the committee or accepted by the delegates,” concluded Harnan who added that he would not go forward as a coach himself because of time restrictions and the fact he is manager of Skryne. Paddy Carr, who led Kilmacud Crokes to the Dublin SFC title for the second time last Sunday, has yet to confirm if he will go forward or not. Gerry Cooney has already attended an interview while Eamonn Barry and Pat Coyle have stated they would be hoping to manage the Meath team also . It appears that Seneschalstown’s Damien Sheridan has withdrawn his name while Eamonn O’Brien has resisted calls by his supporters to go forward again. Colm O’Rourke is another high-profile figure who has withdrawn although it is believed he is interested in putting himself forward for the position of u-21 coach again.