Paddy O'Rourke named as new Armagh Manager

[haveaharp]

Delusionary in the extreme. What is this potential based on?
Recent underage success is no better than some of the other Ulster counties

well my conjecture would be that there is tremendous potential in Armagh right now, never mind 2/3 years time. In mallon, donaghy, toner and McKeever we have 4 defenders at the very highest level. we have little more than potential at midfield but plenty of it in vernon, toner, o'neill and mckenna.
up front we have the best full forward in ireland in ronan clarke and another dangerous operator in Steven McDonnell.
Add to that the ball winning and work rate of martin o'rourke, running and football of aaron kernan and Kevin dyas to come back in.

that's 12 top quality operators before we even look at new blood.

If anything he is taking over Armagh in a similar position to Down where when he got the down job.  i.e.  A lot of the legends have retired and he has to start building again.  It won't be an easy job.

How'd he get on last time?

you were going rightly there until you mentioned MOR. Surely he wont be playing any further role for Armagh.

[DuffleKing]

well i don't know, i suppose that's for POR to decide. Despite the simplistic game analysis on oc i would consider martin o'rourke central to armagh. not great games against tyrone and monaghan but probably armagh's best player in the league last year. seeing players roles and value to the team is always arbitrary i suppose.

[Mourne Rover]

According to Duffleking, he can `vividly remember his (Paddy O'Rourke's) tv interview circa early 2004 claiming Armagh were finished and wouldn't be back for a long time.' Paddy actually talked about Armagh, who were then the AI champions, when he was appointed as Down manager in the Autumn of 2002. He paid tribute to their achievement, and said that, as he had found as a player, when you are at the top, there is only one way you can go, and hoped that Down might pass Armagh on the way up during his term of office. He obviously never achieved that aim, but we might as well quote him accurately.

[dowling]

Duffleking, I was lead to believe there was inital player support for Paddy's appointment. If that's true does it make any difference to your thinking?

[orangeman]

O'Rourke nod reveals chaos in the Orchard


By Colm Keys


Tuesday October 06 2009

Every year at about this time, at least one county seems to implode during the process of selecting a new manager.

In 2008 Donegal and Meath held that honour while 12 months earlier the Cork County Board's attempts to install Ted Holland ran badly aground.

Sometimes, however, the result of a flawed and error-strewn process can work out favourably. Donegal and Meath weren't looking back in anger too much to winters of discontent in early August about the installation of John Joe Doherty and Eamonn O'Brien respectively as both counties reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

This year the self-implosion garland rests solely around the necks of Armagh. Who'd have thought that?

A county that was once served by such a strong omerta, that detecting a slight hamstring strain in their ranks was a near impossibility, has really gone and got itself in a spin.

Last Friday night's announcement that Paddy O'Rourke would be their new manager after a controversial couple of months was, to say the least, a bombshell. So much so that it set people thinking that it was some mistake, perhaps Aidan O'Rourke was making the leap or even his brother Cathal.

But Paddy O'Rourke, captain of neighbouring Down in the 1991 All-Ireland final? Surely not.

How has it come to this? How has a county which has won three All-Ireland titles across three different grades in the decade, taken seven of the last 11 Ulster senior titles and had so much club success had to peer out over its boundaries to find a new manager?

This is not a slight on O'Rourke or his management capabilities in any way. That being said, his time with Down (2003 to '06) wasn't wholly memorable.

The image of O'Rourke tying his shoelaces and lifting his head in a deserted Down dressing-room in Clones after their 2003 Ulster final replay mauling to Tyrone to tell journalists that there would be "no words today, no words" reflected the pain he felt that day. They had led the drawn game by nine points at one stage but now had now lost the replay by 19.

For the next three years, Down were no more that mediocre, a mid-table entity on any roll of honour. In fairness to O'Rourke, his successors and former playing colleagues Ross Carr and DJ Kane weren't able to advance them much further over the next three years.

Over the weekend, as Armagh people were digesting the news that they had turned to a rival county, their export business was shown to be thriving.

Joe Kernan was perched at the front of the stand with his new selectors on one side of him running the rule over a disappointing Galway final. In Kildare, Kieran McGeeney took in the senior championship semi-finals while still musing over the best way of replacing Paul Grimley, his former assistant.

Last week, Grimley helped to orchestrate Clontibret's third Monaghan county title in four years and, from the podium, the winning captain Vinny Corey belted out high praise and best wishes for the incoming assistant coach.

The triumvirate that did so much to shape the county's landmark success in 2002 will be plying their trade in three different provinces next season.

Stumbled

From Peter McDonnell's vague departure statement in July to Grimley's break for Monaghan as his deadline for guarantees he sought passed, Armagh has stumbled from one crisis to another.

Grimley was effectively the communal choice of the clubs and the players alike. How was he allowed to get away? When he did there was no way back. He had given Seamus McEnaney his word.

The problem now clearly lies in the failure to appoint him two years earlier when McGeeney would have been made his assistant. The future would have been locked down for years.

Kernan may well have harboured ambitions to get back to managing the county but, in his own words, he was being "blamed for everything" and decided it was best to cut ties.

Beneath this trio there were any amount of options from within. Peter Rafferty managed the All-Ireland U-21 winning team in 2004, John Rafferty had success with St Gall's in Antrim and was brought on board by Kernan in 2007 but neither man, it appears, was interested. Brian McAlinden, favourite after Grimley, kept a wide berth too.

Donal Murtagh and Michael McConville, two of Crossmaglen's most recent architects, and Jim McConville, another who made the shortlist were either overlooked or steered clear.

Other more seasoned Armagh players of the past didn't stick their hands up during a rocky few months and so Paddy O'Rourke holds the reins after the appointment committee decided not to look beyond their original five-man list.

Even he would admit the appointment and initial approach to test his interest ranks as a bolt from the blue.

O'Rourke won't concern himself too much with how he got there. It's next part of the journey that matters most and in time he may win over the many sceptics. That's his great challenge.

But right now the legacy Armagh created for themselves in the early part of this decade looks to have fragmented. That impregnable cloak of armour they once donned to do business has been well and truly pierced.

- Colm Keys

Irish Independent

[thewanderer]

it is another joke by our county board they didnt even arrange an interview with donal murtagh, neil smith, or even approach pete mc grath which was confirmed at the meeting last friday nite. looks like someone strongly influenced the process to get paddy.

[yellowcard]

I am genuinely surprised that very few, if any Down people seem to have a problem with POR taking the Armagh job. Personally speaking I would be disgusted if an Armagh man crossed the divide to take up the mantle in Down. However maybe this says more about POR's track record as a manager than the Down supporters lack of concern for O'Rourkes disloyalty.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

I am genuinely surprised that very few, if any Down people seem to have a problem with POR taking the Armagh job.

Sure didn't the Down County Board organise it! 

[haveaharp]

We dont need the Down co board screwing us up - well capable of doing that ourselves

[Armamike]

Well Monaghan seem to be able to dictate the odds to Armagh folk so why not Down.

[Armamike]

Of course, anything for the Armagh lads  ...

Murtagh made to feel cold by calls

By Paddy Heaney


Donal Murtagh has revealed how he went from being the number one candidate for the vacant post of Armagh manager to being left out in the cold.

And by outlining his short discussions with an unnamed individual, Murtagh has also shed some light on the events which led to Paddy O'Rourke being appointed as the new boss.

Murtagh's descent from top contender to non-runner took just "three short phone calls".

He said: "On the first call, they told me that I was one of the few men who was nominated.

"They said they might have to talk to one other candidate, and that they might go and source another candidate. I understood that. That was no problem with me whatsoever."

For the next phone call, Murtagh was asked if he would be prepared to work as assistant to another unnamed manager.

"They asked me if I might want to work with another man. I said it was difficult to say, as I didn't know who the person was," he said.

"They could force me on him, or him on me and we mightn't be compatible.

"I said I couldn't work with the man until I knew who the man was. They weren't willing to say who the man was. But I did say it was a possibility."

By the next call, Murtagh was informed that he'd been demoted and was no longer the leading candidate.

"I was told that I wasn't the number one choice any more. I was told I was a very strong number two to this man, but they wouldn't say who the man was."

After that third call, Murtagh didn't receive any more contact from the representative of the county board.

"The next thing I heard on the news was that Paddy O'Rourke got the job. That's the exact contact that I had with them," he said.

While keen not to criticise the appointment of Paddy O'Rourke, Murtagh did express some misgivings about the selection process.

"The committee obviously felt he was the best man for the job. Only time will tell.

"He [Paddy O'Rourke] has obviously managed a county team before and he was a born winner as a player.

"Obviously I hadn't managed or played anything worth talking about at county level. Maybe, that went against me. I don't know. Who knows what goes on?" said the Cross manager.

He added: "Obviously I was the most qualified man in Armagh going for the job. Joe Kernan is the only man with a better record than me, and Joe is obviously not available.

"I have won three Armagh, three Ulster, and one All-Ireland in four years, so we didn't do too bad.

"I was nominated for the position, but I didn't get an interview. I think Neil Smyth was in the same boat. He was nominated but neither of us got interviews.

"Neil busted a gut for Armagh for years. I think the least we deserved was an interview, never mind three short phone calls. But these things never seem to be done right."

This can't make for good reading from the county board's point of view?  Surely if they've half an ounce they're bound to be stung by this? One candidate with a gripe (i.e. Grimley) is one thing but now this. Becoming a bit of a trend.

[pintsofguinness]

Of course, anything for the Armagh lads  ...

Murtagh made to feel cold by calls

By Paddy Heaney


Donal Murtagh has revealed how he went from being the number one candidate for the vacant post of Armagh manager to being left out in the cold.

And by outlining his short discussions with an unnamed individual, Murtagh has also shed some light on the events which led to Paddy O'Rourke being appointed as the new boss.

Murtagh's descent from top contender to non-runner took just "three short phone calls".

He said: "On the first call, they told me that I was one of the few men who was nominated.

"They said they might have to talk to one other candidate, and that they might go and source another candidate. I understood that. That was no problem with me whatsoever."

For the next phone call, Murtagh was asked if he would be prepared to work as assistant to another unnamed manager.

"They asked me if I might want to work with another man. I said it was difficult to say, as I didn't know who the person was," he said.

"They could force me on him, or him on me and we mightn't be compatible.

"I said I couldn't work with the man until I knew who the man was. They weren't willing to say who the man was. But I did say it was a possibility."

By the next call, Murtagh was informed that he'd been demoted and was no longer the leading candidate.

"I was told that I wasn't the number one choice any more. I was told I was a very strong number two to this man, but they wouldn't say who the man was."

After that third call, Murtagh didn't receive any more contact from the representative of the county board.

"The next thing I heard on the news was that Paddy O'Rourke got the job. That's the exact contact that I had with them," he said.

While keen not to criticise the appointment of Paddy O'Rourke, Murtagh did express some misgivings about the selection process.

"The committee obviously felt he was the best man for the job. Only time will tell.

"He [Paddy O'Rourke] has obviously managed a county team before and he was a born winner as a player.

"Obviously I hadn't managed or played anything worth talking about at county level. Maybe, that went against me. I don't know. Who knows what goes on?" said the Cross manager.

He added: "Obviously I was the most qualified man in Armagh going for the job. Joe Kernan is the only man with a better record than me, and Joe is obviously not available.

"I have won three Armagh, three Ulster, and one All-Ireland in four years, so we didn't do too bad.

"I was nominated for the position, but I didn't get an interview. I think Neil Smyth was in the same boat. He was nominated but neither of us got interviews.

"Neil busted a gut for Armagh for years. I think the least we deserved was an interview, never mind three short phone calls. But these things never seem to be done right."

I dont even have words, they're a f**king disgrace.

Not interviewing murtagh (fair play to him for speaking out btw) is bad enough but not interviewing Neil Smyth, one of the club's nominated men, is unforgiveable.  I know most of us wouldnt have been mad about Smyth due to his inexperience but give the man the courtesy of an interview ffs!

What the f**k was the point in asking for nominations from the clubs when they were ignored?


Btw, how many were interviewed?
and how many exactly where asked to be assistant/would they be interested because I've heard of a few now.

[BroJolly]

Colm Keys article and Murtagh interview are fairly reflective of the mood in the County I'd say.

BUt looks lke we are where we are. Any word on assistants, etc

[The GAA]

They've gone through a lot of names at this stage and are struggling to get anyone to go in with him

[BroJolly]

Thats what I was thinking. If they could get a couple of guys, it might make things look a bit better.

Woner would the likes of Peter Rafferty or Aiden O'Rourke be interested