Who will be the next Galway hurling team manager?

By David Connors

SPECULATION is already rife around Co. Galway as to the potential replacement of Micheál Donoghue following the departure of the Galway senior manager late last night (Tuesay).
The Clarinbridge clubman and his management team issued a statement to Galway Bay FM which announced that the Galway Senior Hurling Management team would be not taking up the fifth year of their term in charge.
It read: “After four seasons we feel the time is now right to hand on the opportunity to a new management team.”
The statement also thanked the players, the backroom team, support staff, their families and employers and also paid tribute to the Galway supporters and local clubs for their “passion, commitment and connection with this team.”
Donoghue guided the Tribesmen to their first All-Ireland title in 2019 and also captured a National Hurling League and two Leinster Senior Hurling crowns during his spell in charge.
Installed as early favourite with the odds compilers are current Dublin boss and Tynagh-Abbey-Duniry clubman Mattie Kenny, whose victory over the Tribesmen unceremoniously dumped his native county out of this year’s championship.
Current Galway U-20 boss Jeffrey Lynskey has been rated as the next likely with the bookies. When speaking to Herald Sport at the beginning of July, the Liam Mellows man was unsure about the prospect of senior management at the time.
“You never say never,” acknowledged Lynskey, who had won three All-Ireland minor titles in charge.
“People are looking at you and saying you’ve gone from minor to U-20 and probably saying that’s the next step.
“What’s for you won’t go by you. If it comes up and it’s the right time and place, then fair enough. I’d probably need to reflect and think about it hard because we are on the go along time ourselves – I’m on the go since 2015.”
Other names being speculated on include former Clare and Dublin senior manager Anthony Daly, current Galway minor manager Brian Hanley, and Liam Mellows supremo Louis Mulqueen.