Offaly GAA Club go back for controversial manager to take charge of senior football team

DURROW GAA Club have shown that time is a great healer by re-appointing a high profile manager whose decision to step away just before a Senior “B” Football Championship final proved to be one of the big local GAA stories during the Covid years.

Former Roscommon goalkeeper, Shane Curran, a flamboyant, well known personality led Durrow to the Senior “B” Football Championship final against Gracefield in 2020.

That final was fixed during a very uncertain period with lockdowns and restrictions enforced and lifted at different stages during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Durrow had sought a postponement of the final as goalkeeper Stephen Fitzgerald and an in-form forward Dan Wyer had been ruled out because they were a close contact with a Covid case. Fitzgerald had picked also picked up an injury in an U20 hurling game the previous week and Durrow argued that the game should be called off for safety reasons over Covid.

The County Board, however, insisted that the game would go ahead, stating that they were complying with the Covid 19 guidelines and that Durrow were obliged to play it without their Covid contacts.

Curran's stance poured further petrol on a blazing fire with both him and coach Owen Mooney resigning.

Curran stated at the time: “We took a management decision yesterday not to play the game. The club took a decision not to play the game and informed the County Board of that decision by email yesterday afternoon in light of the positive test and the close contact association within the team of a particular player."

He put further pressure on the County Board by tweeting that "we're either serious or not about Cv-19" and describing the fixture as “reckless endangerment with little or no respect for players”.

"Why are these players, family’s, clubs, officials put at risk when known positive case and close contact in system? No club should be put in this position on eve of a final,” he insisted.

However, Durrow GAA Club were placed in a very difficult position once it became clear that the County Board would not budge and that Gracefield would be awarded the final if they didn't turn up.

Club officers, players and other management members held a meeting on the Sunday morning with the final fixed for 1pm. With players determined to play it, they decided to proceed with the fixture with the other selectors, Kevin Ward and Gerry Murphy along with Galway football hero Declan Meehan taking charge of the team – then employed by Offaly County Council and living in Durrow, Meehan has since returned to his native county.

Durrow let their feet do the talking on the field, producing a super display to destroy Gracefield by 2-13 to 2-5.

Considering all that, Durrow's decision to go back to Curran is a surprise but they were impressed by his management up to then and are delighted to secure his services again. The appointment is also a statement of intent by Durrow. With Curran bringing in other back up personnel, it represents an investment by them and is a sign of their ambition – his backroom team has to be confirmed yet.

In a bit of musical chairs, last year's manager, Tullamore man Shane Kelly has switched to Ballycommon – Kelly played senior hurling and football for Tullamore for years and replaces Ferbane native and Kilbeggan resident, Padraig Egan in Ballycommon.

Curran takes over at a testing time for Durrow - they have done very well to retain their senior football status since 2020 but there was consternation in the club last year when they conceded a walkover to Rhode in their final group game in the championship.

Durrow had no alternative but to concede the points after most of their senior hurlers said they wouldn't play against Rhode as they wanted to concentrate on Ballinamere's forthcoming senior hurling quarter-final against Kilcormac-Killoughey – a couple of them said they would play but with so many of their best footballers opting out, they were right not to play the game, despite the view expressed by some that they should have drafted up junior players. Durrow were out of contention for a quarter-final and with no relegation from last year's championship, there were no repercussions for them from losing to Rhode.

Durrow's influence on Offaly hurling is one of the big anomalies in the Offaly GAA world at the moment. Ciaran Burke, Ross Ravenhill, Jack Fogarty, Brian Duignan, Steven Doran, Dan Bourke, David Magner, Mark Troy and Sam Bourke all played for Durrow footballers and Ballinamere hurlers in their previous game last year, both defeats. Doran and Magner are Ballinamere members while Burke, Ravenhill, Duignan, Troy and the two Bourke's are all Durrow members – Ballinamere cater for hurling only, Durrow football with players playing the other code with their sister club.

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Ravenhill, Duignan, Troy and Dan and Sam Bourke are all on the Offaly senior hurling panel and the development of those players has owed much to the input of former Offaly hurlers who moved into the Durrow area. Former Offaly GAA chairman Michael Duignan (formerly St Rynagh's) and Lusmagh man Jim Troy have lived in Durrow for several years.

Another footballer Kevin McDermott would have been on the Ballinamere team last year, having starred on their run to the 2024 final but he opted out, playing intermediate hurling only – Ballinamere now have a new manager in Galway man Sean Treacy and McDermott has returned to play for them with the early indications suggesting that he will be a big addition to their prospects of a first senior hurling title.

That walkover riveted Durrow as well as creating a lot of tension with Ballinamere. There were suggestions that Durrow would end their relationship with Ballinamere and field a hurling team themselves but thankfully that nuclear option has been averted. The goalposts have also changed with a proud Durrow man Stephen Ravenhill beating Kevin Ward in a contest for the vacant chairman's position at their AGM last year – Kevin McDermott's father Tom had stepped down after years of great service.

Ravenhill's appointment should soothe the relationship with Ballinamere. He is the father of Ross and Dan Ravenhill and has been a Ballinamere senior hurling selector but also comes from a long established, fiercely passionate Durrow GAA family. The Ravenhill's go back for generations in the area with members of the family occasionally taking lead roles in the club.

With him at the helm, it is expected that all their hurlers will commit to the Durrow cause this year, something that hasn't always happened in the past – Dan Ravenhill, who hasn't played much football in recent years, is also expected to line out for them and he is well able to play the game.

Curran steps into this environment where their dual commitments will have to be managed carefully and Ballinamere are desperate to win a first ever senior hurling title while Durrow will be setting their sights on a senior football quarter-final. Their first priority is to retain their status but they are in a new weak group with Clara, Ballycommon, Clonbullogue and Bracknagh – two qualify for the quarter-finals and it is wide open. Durrow's prospects of qualification are realistic once they put in enough football work.

Curran also came to attention last year when he stepped down as Carlow senior football manager a few weeks before the start of the championship – A Carlow statement at the time revealed: “This decision was based on player related issues which he believed were beyond the scope of the management team.”