Green and Red

Donie's on the way

Posted: 22 Oct 2012 02:30 PM PDT

Photo: Limerick Leader

The County Board have confirmed tonight that Kerry's Donie Buckley is set to join James Horan's management team for 2013. The Castleisland native, who turned down an invitation to become a Kerry selector this year, will come in as a direct replacement for the departed team coach Cian O'Neill.

There's a lovely irony in the way that James' reaction to Kerry's poaching of the man with the bad back has been to land as his replacement an individual highly regarded in his native Kerry for his coaching skills. Terry Reilly has said on Twitter tonight that, in his interview with James for tomorrow's Irish Examiner, the manager describes the new appointment as one that "will take Mayo football onto a new level".

That league opener with Kerry at McHale Park next February was always going to be a tasty encounter, what with it being our first competitive match since the All-Ireland, Eamonn Fitzmaurice's first test as Kerry manager and Cian O'Neill's return to Castlebar. With Donie Buckley now added into the mix, it just got a whole load more interesting. Roll on February. Roll on 2013.

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