Wicklow's preparations for the 2024 inter-county hurling season have been thrown into disarray by the abrupt departure of their coaching team.
Just over a week before the Allianz Hurling League gets underway, news emerged on Friday morning that manager Casey O'Brien has stepped down from his role, along with his entire backroom team.
The first reports broke in the Wicklow People early on Friday, and leave the county board scrambling to replace O'Brien and his management setup with the start of the season fast approaching.
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Wicklow hurling management team step down
Casey O'Brien took over as Wicklow manager at the beginning of the 2023 season, and his first year in charge of the team saw them take an impressive step forward. Most memorable was the county's first victory in the Nicky Rackard Cup, after a four-point victory over Donegal in the final last June.
3 June 2023; Wicklow captain John Henderson lifts the Nicky Rackard Cup after their side's victory in the Nicky Rackard Cup Final match between Donegal and Wicklow at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
After the success of 2023 - which also included coming close to the Division 2B League final - Wicklow will now have to prepare for this season without O'Brien and his backroom team of Leighton Glynn, Billy Cuddihy and Graham Keogh.
The Wicklow People report that O'Brien, Glynn, Cuddihy and Keogh stepped down on Thursday night, as they faced continued difficulties assembling a panel for 2024.
When Wicklow's season got underway in the Kehoe Cup earlier this month, just three of the players who started last year's Nicky Rackard Cup final were available to O'Brien for the opening game against Kildare.
That game - ultimately a heavy defeat for Wicklow - has turned out to be O'Brien's final game in charge of the county. Wicklow subsequently pulled out of the competition, and are now left without a manager just over a week before their opening league game of 2024.
Wicklow's first game of the Allianz Hurling League sees them face familiar foes Donegal on the opening weekend of Division 2B on Sunday, February 4th in Aughrim. The two counties of course met in the Nicky Rackard Cup final last year - but it was also Donegal who denied Wicklow a place in the 2B final.
Damien Byrne, Wicklow GAA chairman, did not comment when approached by the Wicklow People for comment - but he and his county board now face a mad scramble to find a coaching team (and a full squad of players) before the 2024 campaign gets underway.
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