Dublin board want Fennelly to stay on as manager

The Dublin County Board are set to make every effort to extend Kevin Fennelly's position as senior hurling manager.

According to county chairman John Bailey yesterday, Fennelly has been a "revelation" since he came in four months ago and most of the criticism directed at the current state of Dublin hurling is unfair.

"I don't think people have seen the full picture," said Bailey. "For the last few months Dublin hurling has been slated, slagged and bashed and I think that is unfair.

The entire county board is deeply appreciative of what Kevin Fennelly has done and he has done a magnificent job. In four months he has practically turned out a new team."

The nature of the one-point loss to Laois in Sunday's Leinster hurling championship was tough for Fennelly and the entire county panel to take.

Had Laois not scored their late goal five minutes into injury-time, it would be Dublin who would be facing Wexford in Croke Park in June and their future would be a whole lot brighter.

Yet that result takes nothing away from Bailey's high opinion of the new life that Fennelly has brought to hurling in the capital.

"Dublin hurling has been in a low period, there's no doubt about that. But it's clear that Kevin still has a huge role to play and the county board will sit down with him in the near future.

"Naturally, we will give everyone a few days to settle down, because it has been a huge effort for Kevin and his selectors over the last three or four months. And Kevin has already put in a huge amount of mileage.

"But as far as I am concerned he has been a revelation. He's an absolute professional and doesn't want any bureaucracy, he just wants to deal with the players and gets on with the training."

With his appointment in mid-January, Fennelly - the former Kilkenny manager and All-Ireland medal winner - set a long-term goal to bring Dublin hurling on a par with Wexford and Offaly.

His position was to be renewed at the end of this championship summer and Bailey is confident that he will return for at least another year.

"It is now a young team coming through, and we had one 18-yearold, Conal Keaney, come on the field on Sunday. And all the players have been magnificent. We've had 97 per cent attendance at training, and they all played with great heart and pride on Sunday and no one can argue with that.

"But we are not neglecting hurling in Dublin, and I don't think people are being fair if they say we are. One of my main objectives is to build hurling in the county.

"The clubs are getting behind us now and people are realising that the county board is taking hurling seriously. And I have set up a hurling advisory group, chaired by former manager Michael O'Grady.

"But everyone knows that it takes time to settle in a new job. The league was awkward enough for Kevin with the foot-and-mouth problem but I don't think there was anything wrong with the way we played on Sunday.

"Laois had the two round-robin games to benefit from and they also had a little more experience than us. Of course, we are sad and disappointed, but certainly not bitter. We lost the game on the field and that is that."

One of the criticisms surrounding Dublin hurling this year was the decision to keep the team out of the round-robin stage, which subsequently became a preliminary knockout because of the foot-and-mouth problem.

Bailey will take whatever advice the management give when it comes to deciding next year's championship, but the feeling is that they will return to the benefits of the round-robin.

Fennelly himself made limited comment on his future role in the county after the defeat on Sunday: "That is something that has to be discussed with the county board," he said, "and when it is discussed I will let you know.

"But the future is up to the Dublin players and up to the panel and up to the county board, who all have have to get behind them and bring them on from where they are at now."

Laois hurling manager Sean Cuddy was inadvertently referred to as the father of centre back Paul Cuddy in yesterday's report on the Leinster hurling championship. We regret the error.