Ann Downey has been appointed as manager of the St Patrick's Ballyragget hurling team.
The Kilkenny legend last year stepped down as manager of the Kilkenny camogie team after four years in charge. She led Kilkenny to the 2016 title but subsequently saw her side lose the next three finals.
Ballyragget won the Kilkenny Intermediate Hurling Championship in 2017 and reached the All-Ireland intermediate final where they lost to Kanturk. They were relegated from senior hurling in the county last year.
"I'm looking forward to it, because there are some great young lads that can hurl here," she told the Irish Independent.
You would hope to go back up, to be quite honest, that would be the aim.
Downey won 12 All-Ireland camogie titles with Kilkenny during her playing career which ended in the late 90s and was subsequently involved with both hurling and camogie teams along with her time in inter-county management.
Last Autumn, just weeks after stepping down from her Kilkenny role, Downey said, "You never say never" when asked if she would one day return to management.
"I suppose my biggest problem is I'm not able to say no," she said.
"But at the moment, I'm trying to take a break if that's possible. It won't really hit me I suppose until January.
"I stopped playing in I think it was '99. Then I got involved with a hurling club, then I got involved in camogie, then I got involved in another hurling club, then I went back to camogie, then I got involved in another hurling club in 2016.
"I've always been doing something since I retired from playing myself."
Picture credit: Sportsfile
