Eoin Fehily bringing fresh perspective as Éire Óg target county glory

When Éire Óg appointed Eoin Fehily as their football manager last winter, it was viewed by many as an intriguing choice.

Fehily arrived with more than two decades of management experience, but almost all of it had come in soccer, having managed clubs including Lakewood Athletic and Killumney United. 

While he had been heavily involved in underage coaching within Éire Óg, stepping into the hot seat represented a different challenge altogether.

Nearly a year into the role, the Muskerry club are preparing for Sunday's McCarthy Insurance Group SAFC final against Kanturk at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh (2pm).

For the manager himself, the focus has remained remarkably consistent since his first meeting with the panel back in December.

"I suppose when I met the lads last December for the first time, to be honest with you, we didn't speak too much about getting to a county final or anything like that," Fehily says.

"My onus was always about the environment that we're trying to create and the standards that we're going to hold each other accountable to.

"I wanted to create a mantra around knowing what's next. We can't be looking too far ahead. I certainly didn't want to be listening to or focusing too much on what went on before us.

"I wanted us to be forward-focused and the most important thing was knowing what's next. Is it a training session, a gym session, a recovery session or a match? Then let us build from there."

Fehily inherited a squad that had reached last year's county semi-final and felt there was already a strong foundation in place.

"There is an abundance of talent there, but talent only gets you so far," he said.

"One thing I was trying to do wasn't identifying talent. It was about putting the right parameters in place from a management point of view, getting the right people in, putting systems and procedures in place and deciding how we're going to do things off the pitch before we get onto it.

"It was about linking that in with the good relationships already in the club, with the committee, the underage structure and the hurling section as well."

The opportunity to take charge appealed immediately, even if it meant moving away from the underage coaching role he had been enjoying.

"I've been managing teams for 20 years. I think I took over my first team around 2006.

"When I'm involved in a club, I'll always give back. I was doing that through underage coaching, but I just felt my skill set was better suited higher up.

"I wanted to challenge myself. Maybe that's not always a positive thing for the people closest to me, but I do like putting myself in challenging situations and I wanted to take on that challenge.

"There was a good group of players there and it's a very good club. I felt I could add something and thankfully I've got the opportunity to try."

While some may have questioned how a manager with a soccer background would adapt to Gaelic football, Fehily sees management principles as being universal regardless of the sport.

"Management is management," he states.

"Long before you start thinking about skills or tactics, you have to manage yourself. You have to manage the environment and create an environment that people enjoy, but one that also challenges them and asks them to work hard.

"You are trying to instill your own values and principles while also creating a culture where players hold themselves accountable.

"The management skillset is transferable into most things because it all comes back to people. You're trying to create an environment for people, be honest with them and open up lines of communication.

"When you get that buy-in, it becomes easier to create a culture where every day people are willing to work hard.

"I don't think anything has surprised me, but it is astonishing when you see the level of commitment from players.

"Even when you talk about inter-county players, what is asked of them and what they're willing to do is incredible. Players everywhere deserve huge recognition for that.

"It's motivating to see lads putting in that application week in and week out."

The year has not been without disappointment. Éire Óg were relegated from Division 1 of the county league despite accumulating seven points, a tally that would have secured safety in many previous seasons.

Yet Fehily has refused to dwell on it.

"My only objective was breaking the nine league games into three groups of three and trying to improve in each block.

"I felt we finished strongly in the league campaign. Obviously we didn't end up where we wanted to be but, as I said to the lads after every game, today means everything and tomorrow means nothing.

"When you get into the championship, you're trying to make sure any wins you get stand to you and that you produce your best performance on the last day of the year."

That approach appeared most evident in the semi-final against Cill na Martra. Trailing by eight points, Éire Óg looked destined for elimination before mounting a stunning comeback victory. They had received a bye after winning their three group games.

Fehily believes the manner of that turnaround told him plenty about his team's development.

"We stayed on script," he says.

"Our execution wasn't where it needed to be for periods, but nobody panicked. Nobody went rogue and nobody tried to be the maverick.

"I don't think we panicked on the line and neither did the players. That doesn't just happen in one game. It comes from weeks and months of building and buying into the system.

"In every big game there are momentum swings. What it comes down to is whether you can capitalise when momentum is with you and whether you can manage yourself properly when it's against you."

Now only Kanturk stand between Éire Óg and a return to Premier Senior after being relegated from the top tier in 2024.

"We'll approach it the same way we have all year," Fehily said.

"Championships aren't won on a day. A game is won on a day and that's what you have to focus on. You have to play the game in front of you.

"We have massive respect for Kanturk. Obviously you focus on the opposition in your preparation, but after that your focus has to narrow on yourselves and what you're going to bring to the table.

"We know we'll probably need our best performance of the year, but people often overlook the value of consistency. We're just trying to keep doing what we've been doing all season and looking for a little bit more every day."