Brian Roche takes over as Barrs football manager with JBM on board

Thu, 11 Jan, 2024 - 21:35

Barry O'Mahony

Two-and-a-half months on from the departure of Paul O’Keeffe, St Finbarr’s have appointed Brian Roche as their new football manager ahead of the new season.

The Togher native was a selector under O'Keeffe in the last campaign and was in the backroom team as strength and conditioning coach when the Togher club won the top-flight football championship in 2021. A talented dual player in his playing days with St Finbarr's, Roche was boss of Sarsfields in the past, with his man management skills one of his key strengths.

Roche became the first Irishman to win a Heineken Cup medal in Rugby back in 1998 when he played for Bath.

St Finbarr's and Cork legend Jimmy Barry-Murphy will be part of the new management ticket. The Cork dual great, a six-time All-Ireland winner at inter-county level, five of them with hurling, one of life's gentleman, will bring something different to the party.

During his football career with his beloved Barrs, JBM won five top-flight football championships, and two Munster and All-Ireland titles.

St Finbarr's and Cork GAA legend Jimmy Barry-Murphy will be involved with the Barrs footballers this year.

Ian Keeler, Martin Desmond and Tomás Manning are the other selectors under the new boss.

Former manager Ray Keane, who guided the city outfit to the top-tier football championship title in 2018, was also in contention to take over as bainisteoir.

St Finbarr’s last lifted the Andy Scannell Cup in 2021, which was for the 10th time, and since have lost the 2022 final to great rivals Nemo Rangers and then were beaten by Castlehaven last season at the semi-final stage and the Haven went on to win the title.

The Barrs are pitted against southside rivals Douglas, Valley Rovers and Mallow, in the 2024 championship group-stage. They will be heavily fancied to qualify for the business end. The city side will be one of the favourites for the Andy Scannell Cup in 2024.

The McCarthy Insurance Group Division 1 football league will get underway on the weekend of Saturday, March 2. The team in royal blue and gold won the league last year after beating Nemo in the final.