Ronan McCarthy on moving into ladies football as coach of Mourneabbey

FORMER Cork football manager Ronan McCarthy remains an astute acquisition despite a transitioning Mourneabbey panel exiting the Munster LGFA SFC last weekend.

Clare’s Banner Ladies overcame Mourneabbey 3-17 to 4-13 after extra-time in Cuasck Park to win a cracking semi-final.

Whilst gutted at missing out on a provincial final appearance, the reigning Cork senior champions possess a manager of capable of developing the next generation of Mourneabbey stars.

McCarthy’s experience in helping Douglas reach a 2008 Cork SFC county final, guide Carbery Rangers to their first senior football county title in 2016 and four years at the helm of the Cork senior footballers made him an ideal, if unexpected, replacement for Shane Ronayne as Mourneabbey boss.

Stepping into such a high-profile position, albeit with serial county, Munster and All-Ireland LGFA winners, took the respected GAA coach out of his comfort zone.

“I had been coaching girls, including my own kids, with Douglas since I finished with the Cork seniors,” Ronan McCarthy said.

Mourneabbey were simply a very interesting proposition when I was first asked. They are a team with, obviously, massive ambitions every year.

“I suppose, accepting the position (manager) was also something that took me out of my comfort zone. It was certainly going to be a different challenge for me.

“Since I began, they have been a fantastic club to work with and a fantastic group of players to work with. There is such quality throughout the club and all their teams. There is a great bunch of younger players coming through as well.

“So, there was an awful lot attractive about taking on the senior manager’s role really. I am really, really enjoying it.” 

ALL CHANGE

McCarthy passed his first test since taking over the Mourneabbey seniors by delivering the club’s ninth Cork senior title in a decade.

Last month’s nail-biting one-point county final win over Éire Óg represented Mourneabbey’s third consecutive senior trophy success.

For Ronan McCarthy, lifting that trophy was as important as blooding a new generation of young senior players since the start of the 2023 campaign.

“There was nothing in it and that was always going to be the way,” McCarthy commented on defeating Éire Óg 2-11 to 2-10 in the decider at MTU Cork.

“I suppose you have to consider that there has been a lot of change in the Mourneabbey senior panel.

“I think, maybe, nine players of that in total, five from the 2021 county winning panel and four from 2022, didn’t play against Éire Óg in this year’s final. 

"That’s a massive change. “The good news is that there are some really talented players coming through Mourneabbey’s underage structures.

“To be fair, the club, while they want to win now and rightly so, is also looking ahead. 

The likes of Bríd, Doireann and Ciara O’Sullivan, while they are fantastic players, cannot go on forever.

“So, that’s why I believe winning this year’s Cork LGFA county senior is such an important title for the club. Maybe it represents transitioning into a new team but if Mourneabbey can do that and keep winning then all the better.” 

The manner of this year’s county final success was as pleasing as the outcome.

Losing the lead twice to a dogged Éire Óg but bouncing back on both occasions to win the county was the best possible preparation for the county champions’ assault on another provincial title.

“When you come out the right side of a game like that, we could have lost it, there is no doubt that it brings players on,” McCarthy admitted.

“We got a lot of young players on to the panel and a lot of young players started in the county final. We savoured and enjoyed that county final victory. Every one of them counts. You never take them for granted. This club certainly doesn’t. 

"They are a wonderful bunch of players.” 

An experienced core of players along with emerging talent from the club’s U21 and minor setups means Ronan McCarthy and Mourneabbey will be back better than ever in 2024.