Tyrrellspass name mangan as new manager

Tyrrellspass have ended their long pursuit of a successor to Tom Coffey after announcing former Westmeath footballer Alan Mangan as their new manager last weekend.

Rhode man Coffey stepped down after the Tidy Town's Shay Murtagh Precast SFC semi-final replay defeat at the hands of Mullingar Shamrocks. The Sky Blues also lost the 2013 senior football final to St Loman's, Mullingar.

A number of candidates were linked to the Tyrrellspass position, which was initially advertised in early November. Among them was former St Malachy's boss Peter Leahy who - after missing out on the Westmeath job - eventually joined SFC new boys Caulry.

But Mangan brought to the table an impressive CV which landed him his biggest test yet. In 2011, he jointly (with Leahy) managed Westmeath's ladies to an All-Ireland IFC title, and went solo before leaving the role in 2012. While continuing to play hurling and football with Castletown-Geoghegan and St Malachy's, he also took on a backroom role with Westmeath's senior hurlers during the Brian Hanley era.

As a player, Mangan represented Westmeath in both senior football and hurling, picking up a Leinster SFC medal in 2004, when he was Westmeath's leading scorer in the replayed final against Laois.

Mangan comes to talent-laden Tyrrellspass with a backroom team including Shane Donohue, Damien Gavin (former All-Ireland minor winning Westmeath captain) and an as yet unnamed selector from within the club.

The appointment completes a managerial merry-go-round in the close season, which saw former Westmeath bainisteoir Luke Dempsey leave Kildare side Moorefield to succeed Declan Rowley as St Loman's manager.

Days before his Tyrrellspass appointment was confirmed, Mangan's home club, St Malachy's, announced that Ballynacargy's Tommy Keena would take them into 2015.