Laois GAA coach Justin McNulty backed by All-Ireland winning manager

placeholder image — John O'Mahony and Justin McNulty

Mayo man who won Sam with Galway believes Justin McNulty can continue as a politician and Laois manager

A double winner of Sam Maguire hopes Justin McNulty will be able to continue to be Laois GAA coach and a member of the Stormont Assembly.

John O'Mahony led Galway to All-Ireland Glory in 1998 and 2001 - the same year as Galway beat an Armagh team in which Justin McNulty played. Armagh went on to win Sam in 2002 with McNulty at full-back.

O'Mahony would later return to lead his native Mayo for a second spell as manager between 2007 and 2010. Like McNulty, he was a full-time politician during these years as a Fine Gael TD for Mayo. He was elected TD during the Connacht Championship a week after Mayo beat Galway in 2007.

He has spoken to the Irish Times about the dispute between Mr McNulty and the SDLP who have suspended the MLA over his decision to coach Laois Gaelic Footballers. The SDLP party leader Colum Eastwood says the roles are 'not compatible'. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured: Former Galway, Mayo and Leitrim manager John O'Mahony with former Kerry, Kildare, Laois and Wicklow manager Mick O'Dwyer with the Sam Maguire Cup in 2000. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

The Mayo man, who was a TD until 2016 and later a Senator, sees the problems faced but also that Mr McNulty could make it work.

“The difficulty for Justin is that he is an MLA in one part of the country and managing a team in the other part of the country, but I know how hard he works as an MLA. I also know he is a very dedicated coach, very progressive and somebody who has a deep interest in coaching.

“It’s obviously for them to work out, but I would hope they can find a compromise because it is a huge benefit for the SDLP to have him.

“The season has started positively for Laois as well with two wins, so hopefully something can be worked out between both sides,” he said.

Pictured: Justin McNulty of Armagh in action against Alan Kerins of Galway in 2001 when Galway would go on to win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship for a second time under John O'Mahony. Photo by Damien Eagers/Sportsfile

The Irish Times reports that when the Dáil was sitting, O’Mahony worked in his Mayo office on Monday, traveled to Dublin on Tuesday where he would train Mayo players based in the capital.

He returned to Mayo on Thursday to oversee training in Castlebar that night while Friday was set aside for his constituency clinics, Saturday for training and Sunday a match.

“You went straight from an intensive training session maybe to a public meeting. It was hectic but you didn’t really have time to be thinking about it, you just got on with it," he said.

O’Mahony managed Mayo to Connacht SFC success in 2009. He said politics was never mentioned in the dressing room.

Laois GAA has also remained tight-lipped. Mr McNulty has so far declined to comment on the dual role or his suspension. His only utterance in public was a post on X about Casement Park GAA grounds in Belfast and its redevelopment.

Mr McNulty was suspended after taking a helicopter to be on the sideline for Laois in the Allianz Football League Division 4 win over Wexford on the day the Northern Ireland Assembly returned for the first time in two years. The party said he did not follow an instruction not to travel.