New Macroom football manager Aidan O'Mahony on why he took up the role
New Macroom football manager Aidan O'Mahony. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
NEW Macroom football manager Aidan O’Mahony is under no illusions about the size of the challenge he is taking on.
The Muskerry club, despite their proud history and tradition, have struggled for the best part of a decade at premier intermediate level. Macroom have failed to reach the business end of the championship since a quarter-final defeat to Newmarket in 2017. Since the championship was revamped back in 2020, Macroom have failed to qualify out of their group for the knockout stages and this year they ended up in a relegation battle where they had to beat Na Piarsaigh to avoid dropping down.
Despite all the predicaments, the Kerry man is ready for the opportunity to turn Macroom around.
“I am really looking forward to it,” says O’Mahony.
“I work with the Macroom chairman Mark O’Sullivan and we just got talking over the last few weeks and it just went from there really. I like a challenge and I have watched Macroom’s games from the last few years and there is definitely something about them.
"When you're involved as a manager, coach or a selector you're always learning. I would like to think I have gained a good bit of experience over the last few years in different roles. The biggest thing now from my point of view is when you're dealing with players you have to look after them. The player has to come first, sport is then second. When it’s the other way around it’s like going to work.
“Obviously it’s well documented how tough it has been for Macroom over the last ten years especially this year. I need to understand why the team ended up in the relegation playoff. At the end of the day they kept their status.
"They have to see why they are doing something. This will be an open forum for the players. I won’t be looking back at what the previous management did because 2024 will be a new start but we have to learn and not be in the same position as we were in this year.”
The new manager believes he has come on leaps and bounds since his previous spell in the Rebel County having been involved with Millstreet in 2017 and 2018.
“I had two fantastic years with Millstreet. We were very close to making the breakthrough at intermediate level. Cill na Martra beat us in the quarter-final in 2017 and then reached the semi-final the following year where Knocknagree were too strong for us and we have seen what both clubs have done since.
"I was new to management and I was trying out a lot of ideas, trying to get the team to peak at the right time and was using ideas that I would have seen before when I was playing for Kerry. But, it doesn’t work like that as every team is different.
“But look, we got great results and great performances when I was with Millstreet. When you're starting out in management you probably question yourself and maybe undermine yourself. The biggest thing from my time with Millstreet to now with Macroom is you need to enjoy playing and have a bit of crack."
O’Mahony has former Macroom and ex-Cork footballer Colman Corrigan with him on the management ticket as well as three lads from Kerry, Eoin O’Shea, Kieran O’Shea and Michael O’Riordan. It’s a difficult championship group for Macroom with Rockchapel, Castletownbere and Kilshannig in the group, but before all that, the Division 3 league will be a big priority for the new management setup.
“It’s a very hard group, let’s not beat around the bush,” the new Macroom boss said.
“But to be honest that won't be on the agenda for a long time. The big thing in January is to get the players screened and tested. Then see what systems and setups suit Macroom and what doesn’t. There is a lot of work to do but at the same time, I am really looking forward to it. I want to put an ethos into the group that the players believe in.
“Everyone will be given game-time in the league. Winning is a habit, but from our point of view the league is all about experimenting. It will be important for us before we go into the championship.”
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