Kilnadeema Leitrim's Ray Larkin and Brian Finn from Tooreen were ratified as joint senior team hurling managers at a meeting of the Mayo GAA County Board last night in Castlebar. Larkin and Finn have been offered a two-year term and take over from Dave McConn and Tom Phillips, who stepped down after a year at the helm.
Ray Larkin led Tooreen to the AIB GAA All-Ireland intermediate hurling final against Limerick’s Monaleen in Croke Park earlier this year. The Kilnadeema/Leitrim clubman has won six county hurling finals and four Connacht hurling titles.
Brian Finn, meanwhile, has managed the Mayo Under 17 Celtic Challenge hurling team and the Mayo Under 20 hurling team for the past two years.
Former Sligo GAA senior hurling manager Pádraig Mannion was also ratified this evening as a new addition to the Mayo senior hurling backroom team. The Ballygar native, who spent three years at the helm with the Sligo senior hurlers, winning back-to-back Allianz National Hurling League promotions in 2020 and 2021, will act as a selector with Larkin and Finn. Mannion also managed the Athleague senior hurling team to the Roscommon County hurling final in 2020.
Larkin and Finn have assembled a very impressive backroom team, with former Galway senior hurler Nigel Shaughnessy enlisted as head coach. The Loughrea native has also coached senior hurling club sides Clarinbridge and Killimordaly in Galway and Na Piarsaigh in Limerick. Westmeath hurling development coach and former Carlow senior hurler Stephen Sheil will assist Shaughnessy in his role.
Mayo GAA hurling chairperson Sean Ó Raghallaigh wished Ray, Brian, Nigel and Padraig well in their new positions.“There are 12 adult senior hurling teams in Mayo at present and I know they will cast their net wide and far in search for the best players to represent Mayo in the coming year,” said Sean. He added: “Tremendous work is taking place in all the hurling clubs in Mayo to promote the game of hurling at present, and the Mayo GAA hurling committee will not be found wanting in supporting them.”
