Frank Kelleher happy to be back at Cork City WFC and coaching in the Premier Division

Frank Kelleher is back as manager of Cork City in the Women’s National League and the coach is hungrier than ever to succeed at Turner’s Cross.

That follows a historic run that included the club’s first major trophy in 2017 and the emergence of future Irish internationals, a group that is led by Saoirse Noonan.

Kelleher is now putting together his second great City side, and he will be joined by former underage coach Craig Robinson.

Together, they managed a helter-skelter winter period that involved a squad assembly and targeted preseason campaign.

“I’m delighted to be back – it has been a very six weeks at this stage,” he told The Echo.

“Just trying to do lots of bits and pieces at this stage, like getting the squad together and getting the coaching staff together. It was a big piece of work that we got done and I’m delighted with what we have done so far. 

"It has been very, very busy.” 

Kelleher has returned to the Women’s Premier Division after six years of watching from the stands.

A lot has changed since he last stood on the sidelines, the league has expanded and the sport has grown massively in popularity after the performances of the national team at the 2023 World Cup.

That meant talk of taking things to the next level, and with that came the announcement that City will pay their women’s players for the first time this year.

There’s also been an expansion of academies, with clubs now managing various underage sides in a ladder towards senior football.

“There is a huge change to be honest,” Kelleher talked about how the game has developed since 2018.

“I think in terms of the professionalisation of the women’s side. It has moved on a huge amount. 

"The way the players are managed in the club set-up is much, much better and the support they get in the operational side from the club has been excellent.

“Also the talent and the technical ability of the players as well. That has been a real surprise for me. Things have really moved on from 2018. 

"You can tell a lot of these players have been coached right through their schoolgirl days and you can see the fruition of that coming into the senior set up. So it has been very different.” 

PROJECT

The players at Kelleher’s disposal were all brought through by former manager Danny Murphy, who left the club last December after guiding the club to famous victories over Shamrock Rovers and Peamount United, and the semi-finals of the Women’s FAI Cup.

“I think it is completely continuing on a project,” Kelleher talked about building on what came before.

“The key to it was to retain as many of the really good players that we have had in the last couple of seasons in the club. 

"We managed to do that for the most part. We strengthened in areas that we needed to strengthen in.

“The other key thing that has happened is that we have really good coaches in the academy section. At U19s we have Barry Ryan, ex-League of Ireland player, has a huge history in the Munster schools success and knows the Munster territory really well. 

"We have Derek Coughlan at U17s level, a highly experienced coach and an ex-League of Ireland player.

“We have a very good system in place for the development of women’s football in the club and I am delighted about that.” 

A key part of that ecosystem is the relationship with UCC as it means the core components of the Cork City squad have been playing football together as a group through the offseason.

The Colleges’ squad included Eva Mangan, Aoibhin Donnelly, and Ellie O’Brien, a trio that are expected to achieve big things at Turner’s Cross.

The trio will go into this campaign after helping UCC win a Colleges and Football Leagues title during the winter under Stephen O’Keeffe, a coach that works very closely with Kelleher.

Kelleher sees this relationship as key to the long-term development of his squad.

“I’ve been back and forth with Stephen O’Keeffe on a weekly basis really and the UCC players have been doing very well,” Kelleher said.

“Myself and Stephen have been liaising very closely in terms of training times so that he has the group with him and we have time with the group. "It has been a great relationship, really good, and it is great that those players have had the ability to play through the winter months.”