Interviews for manager set to start this week

The race for the position of Meath team manager hots up this week when interviews are due to get underway with Colm O'Rourke confirming that he will be going forward for the position. O'Rourke told the Meath Chronicle on Tuesday morning that he is preparing to attend an interview most likely in the next week or so. "I will certainly be attending the interview," he said. It has been well known that O'Rourke would be very interested in getting the position although it remains uncertain how he would juggle the position with his role as GAA analyst with RTE. Right now he just wants to see how the interview process works out. Others who have indicated they will be putting themselves forward include St Ultan's manager Damien Sheridan as well as Graham Geraghty, Paddy Carr and John Evans who is one the favourites to land the post. Eamonn O'Brien and Mick O'Dowd were others nominated although it is not clear at the time of writing if they will be in the running. However, one of the original 10 people nominated, Pat Coyle, will not be adding his name to the list of those attending interviews. The Curraha man was asked if he wished to attend, but he declined. Last week Sean Kelly also stated that he would not be interested in going forward as he instead concentrates on completing a masters degree. Evans hadn't received notification of any proposed interview by Tuesday morning, but he stated that when he does he will attend. The Kerry man, who was team trainer during the latter stages of Seamus McEnaney's reign, feels that during his short spell in the Meath camp he got on well with the players and he made an impact. He doesn't feel that the regular trips from his home in Killorglin would be a problem however he recognises that there may well be a strong swell of opposition to the appointment of another outside manager. Even so he is willing to push himself forward. "I felt the short time I was there the team improved immeasurably, and the team did improve. I just felt that I was going down the right road with them and they had a lot of confidence in what I was doing. "We gelled pretty well together, that's the main thing," he said. Sheridan has enjoyed Keegan Cup success with Seneschalstown and this will be his second time to go for the Meath position. He feels that this time around he is in a good position to be appointed. "There's no point in going for a job unless you feel you can do the job. I feel this is the right time to put myself forward. With a good background team around me I feel I can do a good job." Meath minor manager Andy McEntee has neither ruled himself in or out of the job at this stage preferring instead to focus on his preparations for the All-Ireland MFC final against Dublin on Sunday 23rd September. "The senior team manager's position isn't even on my radar at the moment, I'm not thinking about it. Right now I'm just focused on the All-Ireland final," he said. The composition of the five-man interview committee was confirmed at Monday night's Co Board meeting and will consist of chairman Barney Allen, Peter Collins, Conor Tormey, Leo Halpin and former Meath footballer Tommy Dowd. Whoever takes over will be Meath's fifth manager in seven years and the hope is that the appointment is made quickly and efficiently so that the new man can start providing some badly needed stability to the Meath set-up.