GAELIC GAMES: New Meath manager Eamonn Barry has confirmed his threat to step down within three months of taking up the position. Barry, who went public with his dissatisfaction on Sunday, says it is up to the county executive to contact him to sort out a row over the decision of county officers to reject the proposed appointment two backroom staff.

Although no official statement was issued by the Meath County Board, the indications from the county executive were they would not be changing their minds. The two men in question, physiotherapist Dessie Rogers and Barry's brother Martin, were centrally involved in a controversy that led to lengthy suspensions after a dressingroom row with a county official at the 2003 All-Ireland junior semi-final in Nenagh. Rogers, as selector, and Martin Barry, as manager, were both with that Meath team.

The two challenged their suspensions at law but lost their case in the High Court.

Yesterday Barry emphasised he wouldn't be staying on if the matter was not resolved.

"No, not under those circumstances with people putting up obstacles. I'd be better off back with a club set-up where everyone's pulling in the one direction. I'm going to be considering my position and I have the full support of my selectors in doing that.

"It's a total kick in the teeth to realise there's men on the Meath County Board pretending to want to see Meath back up there at the top and not willing to support the management."

Barry had appointed selectors without controversy and former player Jody Devine, Benny Reddy, last season's under-21 manager, and Andy McEntee, brother of All-Ireland winner Gerry, were all ratified.

It was the stated intention to appoint Rogers as physio and Martin Barry to an unspecified backroom role that caused problems. An executive meeting on Friday night rejected that proposal and Barry requested a meeting with county officers on Saturday night.

"I took the initiative at the weekend and asked for a meeting with the county chairman and county secretary. It's up to them now to decide what to do. I knew Dessie Rogers had been ruled out and when I said I was bringing my brother Martin on board in a backroom capacity, I was told: 'That's a no as well'.

"It appears this is a personal vendetta and that two men have been effectively banned from getting involved with a Meath county team ever again."

Barry believes that having served their suspensions the two should be available to take up positions with county teams.

The controversy breaks just as the county was coming to terms with the departure of Seán Boylan after 23 years in charge of the senior footballers. Barry had been pushing for the Meath job for a couple of years before Boylan's retirement and had guided Dunshaughlin to three county titles in a row and a Leinster club title in 2002. Although the obvious candidate to succeed when the position became vacant this autumn, he faced a certain amount of opposition.

"There was a campaign against me becoming the new Meath manager for the past two or three years," said Barry. "It was the clubs that voted me in overwhelmingly. Not the executive."

Given the controversy in which his brother and Rogers had been so central was the attempt to appoint them to his backroom team not provocative? "Not in the least," he said. "I was given assurances when I was appointed there was going to be a fresh start. Instead Dessie Rogers's appointment was discussed and rejected unanimously and then Martin was turned down without any discussion."

With the situation now deadlocked, it's hard to see any room for manoeuvre. Barry suggested that perhaps the body which appointed him could sort out the matter.

In the meantime the county management committee are due to meet tomorrow and will consider the situation then.

Meath county secretary Barney Allen was not available to The Irish Times yesterday but was quoted on RTÉ Radio One's sports bulletin as "making it clear that Eamonn Barry would have to come up with the name of a new physio other than Dessie Rogers or make his mind up about his future as Meath county manager."

The death has occurred of Ciarán O'Neill, after a short illness. He passed away at the weekend and was buried in his native Ferns yesterday. A former secretary of the Leinster Council, he went on to serve on the staff at Croke Park, where he was commercial manager and he also managed the insurance and legal department. His father Martin was also a secretary of the Leinster Council and refereed the 1947 Polo Grounds All-Ireland football final between Cavan and Kerry. GAA president Seán Kelly expressed his deepest sympathy to family and friends.