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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Vincent Whelan

Colm O'Rourke performs Meath U-turn as he's put forward for ratification as new manager

Colm O'Rourke has been put forward for ratification as the new senior Meath men's manager.

Meath GAA this afternoon tweeted: "The Management Committee of Meath GAA have recommended that Colm O’Rourke be put before the County Committee for ratification as Meath Senior Football manager. Colm has nominated Stephen Bray and Barry Callaghan as his selectors."

The Royals legend is a fixture of our television screens as part of RTE's coverage of the Championship every summer and has been linked with the job at various times when it's become available over the years.

READ MORE: Colm Boyle column: Galway asked tough questions but ultimately Kerry had the answers

His decision to now succeed Andy McEntee is particularly surprising given he'd ruled himself out of the running just weeks ago.

He said at the time: "I'm involved in club management. I'm very happy in club management and I have been for quite a while.

"This isn't something new this sort of speculation like I did actually go for the Meath job on three occasions in the past and even somebody as stupid as I am would give it a hint that when you're told no on three occasions, I think that should put it to bed.

"My beautiful wife Patricia has a very negative view towards managing the county team and with good reason when you see the sort of upshot from Andy McEntee going and the social media abuse that has taken place.

"I think a lot of people would stand back and say is this the sort of trend that we want to go in Gaelic football that people who put in enormous time at their own expense, it's not like Pep Guardiola getting €15million a year, and then being subjected to that sort of thing by unnamed people.

"I can't understand in a society how we can allow people to abuse others without having given their name and address and everything else. It's just a shocking indictment of society in general."

He did, however, go on to say that he didn't feel it would be too difficult to unite Meath football despite internal disputes across various grades dogging the county in recent years.

As well as a successful background in club management with his own club Simonstown Gaels with whom he won successive Meath titles in 2016 and 2017, the 64-year-old has previously managed the Meath minors and U-21s.

His departure from RTE's GAA coverage ironically comes within hours of his longtime sparring partner Pat Spillane also leaving their punditry team as the Kerry legend bid farewell during yesterday's All-Ireland final between Kerry and Galway.

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