Morris takes charge of Dublin hurlers

GAA: Dublin have appointed Marty Morris as their new hurling manager, giving him a two-year term in succession to Kevin Fennelly in the hope of finally restoring the county's competitive status at senior championship level.

It marks the first county management position for Morris, although he has gained considerable experience with his club O'Tooles, and played at senior level with Dublin for almost a decade. He has one new selector in Tommy Ryan (Craobh Chiarain), and retains one out-going selector Mick O'Riordan (St Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh). Sean Beakey has been brought in to act as team trainer.

As a player Morris competed in all grades for Dublin, starting with the minor team that reached the Leinster final in 1974. He then played for three years at under-21 level, and senior from 1976 to 1985. In more recent years he achieved considerable success with O'Tooles - including three successive county titles between 1995-97.

He started his management career with the under-16 team at O'Tooles, eventually helping to restructure the club which became Dublin senior county champions. His younger brother Joey led O'Tooles to the county title this year.

"I have known success, maybe only success, but I have worked hard to get it," he said yesterday at a press conference in Parnell Park. "It's taken a long time to get that far with the club, and I think I have the skills now to make it work at a county level.

"There are also a lot of positive things about Dublin hurling, even this year with the minor and under-21 teams. Both those teams were within a puck of the ball from great success. But there is still a higher strata of hurling in Ireland, and three of those teams are in Leinster. So to be able to compete with those teams on a championship level is the principal goal."

Dublin County chairman John Bailey also outlined some of the reasons why Morris was selected as manager. "Marty comes to this position from an outstanding playing career, and with great hurling pedigree," he said.

"But it wasn't a question of getting a Dublin man, or even a man from any of the 32 counties. It was simply a question of getting the right man, and that was Marty. And I have every confidence in him."

Morris also had the recommendation of the Dublin hurling review group, and was endorsed by the county board, although the county committee still need to ratify the position at their next meeting in February.

The annual Blue Stars challenge on January 5th will provide Morris with his first true taste of action, and he was clearly eager to get things started.

"We'll meet the players tomorrow," he added, "and then train on Monday. I know from my own playing days that representing your county at minor, under-21 or senior level is as close to greatness as you can get for a hurler. I always aspired to train one of those teams as well, and to give my very best for Dublin as a manager."

The timing of the appointment was also highlighted by Morris. "Having been the O'Tooles manager for a number of years it was a natural progression. I was there for five intense years so it was obvious I needed a bit of a breather.

"But a lot of the players I had there at aged 16 are in their prime now. The players from other clubs are there now as well at minor and under-21 level. They are the players that I always wanted to work with. Three years ago would have been early, three years later too late. So that's why I wanted this job now.

"And I know as well there is the potential there to compete with the best. Our immediate aim is to get the best 15 players on the field, and to get them winning games in the league and the championship."

Morris is aware, however, of some immediate obstacles - most obviously the problem with dual players in Dublin, and the insistence of football manager Tommy Lyons that players concentrate on one code or the other.

"Players will always have to make their minds up as to where their loyalties should lie," said Morris. "I can't make those decisions for them. I wouldn't block anyone from playing football, and hopefully we can reach some compromise with Tommy Lyons. But once the players tell me they are committed to hurling I will do everything I can to accommodate them.

"If a dual player decides that football is his thing then I will have to let him go. That's always been a problem in Dublin. But I will be pushing and cajoling and doing whatever I can do to keep that player on board with us."

In other news, Wexford footballer Leigh O'Brien has been chosen as a Vodafone All Star replacement and will travel with the touring party to San Diego on January 15th. O'Brien was an All-Star nominee last month and is one of a number of replacements who have been called up for the tour, which will include an exhibition match in San Diego on January 18th between the All Star selections of 2001 and 2002.

Armagh's goalkeeper Benny Tierney has also received a call-up and others joining the tour will be David Mitchell (Westmeath), Gareth Doherty (Derry), Chris Lawn (Tyrone) and Declan Browne (Tipperary).

The GAA have also announced that the International Rules Series Tribunal met by telephone hook-up on Wednesday to hear the striking charge laid against Australia's Brad Scott from the second International Rules Test between Australia and Ireland in Dublin in October.

Scott was charged by referee Scott McLaren for striking Ireland's Graham Geraghty. The tribunal accepted the guilty plea and imposed a penalty of three International Rules Series games, effective from 2003 onwards.