Finally...... he's gone!

[Rynaghs Biffo]

According to RTE2 news tonight they're saying that Kevin Kilmurry has resigned from Offaly football. He apparently contacted the county board earlier today and stepped down.

So where will this take us, obviously for the better!

[BUFFALO]

Jaysus, well thats a bolt from the blue. I wasn't expecting that so soon, thought he was gonna wait a likkle longer.
As much as I have dissed and loathed the man, I still think that he deserved a wee bit more credit than he got from some quarters(I included).
The future...is the final frontier.
Ah no(only messin'), Offaly football may be on the cusp of winning a Leinster,but that is dependent on bringing in the right manager,the proper staff,who are ultimately backed by the players and county board.
However,I would not like to have to choose such a manager, as I dunno who is capable of moving Offaly up a level or two.

[Bogman]

I think we have to give credit to Kevin Kilmurray for being a decent and honourable man, Offaly to the bone, who came in after a players' strike and restored some normality & respectability to the scene.

We're in a lot better shape than when he took over, to be sure, to be sure!!

I wonder who's going to be in for it?

John O'Mahoney, John Maughan, Gerry Cooney, Stephen Darby?

[Muck Savage]

What about Eamonn Barry from Meath? He seemed to be an OK manager but did bring a lot of problems to the Meath set-up it appears. He could be the right man to get things going.

[DD]

How about Colm O'Rourke? No management experience at Inter county but just the sort of big name that would get the respect of the players.
I don't think we have a chance of getting O'Mahoney though.

[Ron]

KK got plenty of slating on this site, some of it well earned some of it not. I always said that he'd be judjed by the champ performances, to be fair there was a huge step forward in that regard this year. It was unfortunate that Div 1 status wasn't maintained.

I wonder who will step in now? Good minor players coming up, a young team that will have learned a lot from their outings this year, it could be a good position to take up. I'm not so sure it would've been viewed like that 2 years ago!

Onwards and upwards! Lets hope we will look back at 2006 as the genisis of the restoration of Offaly football back to where it should be.

[Lone Shark]

As one of his biggest critics, I'm certainly pleased that he has stepped down, however in saying that, I do think he has made a positive contribution to Offaly football overall. It's quite clear that his man management is not all that it could be, his tactical nous is questionable and his decision making during a game is atrocious. In saying all that, he managed to get back a little bit of self belief in the panel, something that had been lacking for a considerable amount of time. This year we played some good, fast, direct traditional football, and it was both suited to the personnel at our disposal and easy to watch. For that he has to take credit.

Overall I felt that with a few exceptions, he gave us every chance going into games, but his "plan B" scenarios were non existant. If his initial plan failed, we lost.

However he has surprised me by stepping down, and in doing so he has done a good service to the county. By forcing himself to be pushed we would have either stayed static for a year or else had to fire him, reinforcing the notion of our county as a managerial graveyard. This move has staved that off, and for that, fair play KK.

[Mighty Pair O' Hands]

Kilmurray resigns Offaly post

Kevin Kilmurray
13 September 2006


Offaly are on the look-out for a new senior football manager following Kevin Kilmurray’s decision to step down after a two-year spell.

The former All-Ireland winner announced his decision on Tuesday night, September 12, after leading the Faithful County to their first Leinster final in nine years. They put up an admirable showing against Dublin before being overwhelmed in the final quarter. They were subsequently beaten by arch-rivals Laois in the All-Ireland qualifiers after only registering four points and just one in the second half.

There was also disappointment for Offaly in the early part of the year when they were relegated from Division 1 of the National League.

Kilmurray took charge after the controversial sacking of Gerry Fahy in 2004 which led to a players’ strike. In his first season as manager, Offaly suffered an agonising defeat to Laois in the Leinster championship before being knocked out of the All-Ireland qualifiers by Carlow.

Kilmurray’s departure means that Offaly are now seeking their fourth football manager in as many years. Paul O’Kelly and Gerry Fahy served one-year terms in 2003 and 2004.

Already, outgoing selector Gerry Cooney is being touted as a possible replacement for the Daingean native. Cooney took charge of team affairs while Kilmurray served a three-month suspension earlier this year. Phil O’Reilly, who guided Offaly to appearances in the last two Leinster minor finals, has also been linked with the vacancy.

[Rynaghs Biffo]

You have to give the man some credit, he guided the lads to a Leinster Final. But the big problem I had with him, as LS says, was his on-the-spot decision making and his tactial knowledge. To be honest, I never really liked him, mostly for his persistant crying after the Leinster Final when Alan Mac got sent off. To me, he seemed to dwell more on the past rather than look ahead to the qualifiers and get ourselves into a All-Ireland quarter final. Hence, see what happened against Laois.

As for the Laois game, less said the better! the fact of not making one single switch until midway through to the second half showed his weakness of a making a big tactial decision.

But in saying all that, its far easier to critise than praise!!

Managing the Offaly Seniors now reminds me of Laois a few years ago. A decent senior panel with plenty of youth coming through from the minors. This should make the job very lucrative to any top class manager. But something tells me, O'Mahoney wont take the job, or even anyone outside the county, which is what we need.

[The Biff]

Good luck to you Kevin. You have left the County Team in better shape than the way you found it, and played some significant part in restoring some pride and competitiveness in our football representatives.

[Hocker]

Mick O'Dwyer anyone? Even for 2 years?
My gut tells me Gerry Cooney will get it though.....

[Bord na Mona man]

Mick O'Dwyer anyone? Even for 2 years?

I'd say he wants us as much as we want him!

[naasmanxrhode]

Now is the time to get a big fish to push us into the bigger pond. KK WAS RIGHT TO DEPART and fair play to him. He did his bit to put Offaly back on the Leinster map, now we need someone to put us on the all ireland map.

[Muck Savage]

It'd be great to see Colm O'Rourke in there but I'm suprised he hasn't taken a job somewhere around the country by now, TV pays well.
I hope that Phil O'Reily is kept out of it, never though he did that well with the minors even though they did get to two Leinster finals and one AI semi. I don't know how much he had to do with it. Laz might be yor man though if it was an internal person. This will be a slow process unless Cooney takes the step in. Would be good to get a list of candidates up here.

[Rynaghs Biffo]

I really don't think Micko would take the job, don't think he ever liked Offaly. Maybe Seamus Darby is to blame for that!!