Curran quits Carlow role
Shane Curran has left his position as manager of the Carlow Senior Football team Photo: Pat Ahern
The Carlow GAA county board have released a statement tonight confirming that Shane Curran has stepped down from his position as manager of the Carlow senior football with immediate effect due to 'player related issues'.
The statement in full read:
"Shane Curran has informed Carlow GAA that he and his backroom team are stepping away from the management of the Carlow Senior Football team with immediate effect. This decision was based on player related issues which he believed were beyond the scope of the management team.
"Carlow GAA are in the process of looking for an interim Senior Football manager for the Championship season."
Curran was appointed last August and had a difficult run at the beginning of the Division 4 campaign when Carlow won just one of their opening five games.
That led to rumours of discontent within the squad and there were a number of departures from the panel. However, Curran remained steadfast in his belief that he could help Carlow turn the corner.
Speaking to the Carlow Nationalist's Kieran Murphy at the time, he said:
“I am under no pressure whatsoever. I am a great believer in that if I believe in something, I will go after it. I will do it to the best my ability. We have a fantastic coaching team. A really strong set-up and I am really happy we are going in the right direction. We are a young team. They are developing. We are getting the people we want on the panel and not those who are there for their own.”
It looked as if the manager had weathered the storm when they finished off the league with a convincing win over Longford and then a one point win away to London in the final round but the rumours that began to gather on Wednesday afternoon have proved to be true with that statement confirming his departure released during half time of the U20's Leinster Championship game against Wexford.
It throws preparations for the Leinster Championship into complete disarray. The already daunting prospect of facing Meath in Pairc Tailteann on Sunday 6 April becomes even more so now and instead of focussing on that sizeable task, the Carlow county board is instead left scrambling for a management team.
