New managers in place at Éire Óg
Richie Mahon is part of the new joint management team at Éire Óg along with Cormac Mullins Photo: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Éire Óg have parted company with Turlough O’Brien and his entire management team. Into their place come Richie Mahon and Cormac Mullins who have enjoyed successful stints with Éire Óg underage and intermediate teams.
Arguably, O’Brien is the most successful manager of all time in Carlow where intercounty success has been rare. He was appointed senior football manager in 2014 but he always said success would not come immediately. This was very much the case but slowly but surely he turned the county’s fortunes around. The peak came in 2018 where his side won promotion to division three of the National Football League with victory over Antrim in Belfast.
That season, he led his side to a magnificent victory over Kildare in the Leinster championship. Those were the days in Carlow football where the likes of Wexford, Monaghan and Tyrone all came to Netwatch Cullen Park with big crowds filling the stand.
After he stepped down in 2020 he eventually ended up back with his club where he led them to an unlikely county senior football title in 2023. As a player he has won five senior championship medals and five more as manager. In all, he has managed, from minor to senior, Éire Óg teams in 29 county finals never losing even one.
New manager, Richie Mahon is looking forward to a new season but declined to be interviewed at length.
“We feel it’s a huge honour and privilege to be trusted with the role and we will give it our all to be successful with the team,” he said.
Mahon and Mullins had great success at underage level, including winning a three-in-a-row at minor level and will now look to replicate that at senior level.
Over the weekend, on social media the club thanked the outgoing management team.
“Éire Óg CLG want to thank Turlough O’Brien, Simon Rea, Tommy Wogan, Alan O’Brien, Robbie Moore and Cian O’Brien for their efforts and commitment to our Senior Footballers over the last three years.
This management team took over in January 2022 and led the team to winning a Senior County Championship in 2023.
The club is grateful to Turlough and his team for all they have done and wish them the best going forward.”
