Paul Kelly appointed new Tipperary Senior Football manager

The management committee of Tipperary GAA met last night and appointed Paul Kelly as Senior Football Manager on a three-year term.

The Dublin native has a wealth of experience managing and coaching teams successfully across men’s, ladies, and juvenile level. Most recently he was part of Oisin McConville’s Wicklow management team gaining promotion from Division 4.

He managed his own club, Thomas Davis in Tallaght, to their first Dublin Senior County Championship Final in 28 years in 2019, having led them to victory in the Dublin Senior ‘B’ County Championship in 2018, while also maintaining the clubs proud Division 1 Senior League status throughout his seven-year tenure.

He managed the Naas Senior Football team during 2021, with the team going onto win their first Kildare County Championship title in thirty years.

He also managed the Kildare Ladies Senior Football team from 2009-2011 and held the role of coach for the 2007 season. During those terms, the team played in two Leinster Championship Finals and one National League Final, while participating in Division 1 of the National League for two seasons.

A native of Tallaght, Paul now lives in Eadestown, Co. Kildare. Where he led a successful Ladies team over three years to win a Club All Ireland title in 2006.

The following management team were also appointed:

•Hugh Kenny - will lead the Skills Performance coaching and will be a Selector. Hugh is a very experienced and successful coach at club & inter-county level over several years. He is currently the Games Manager for Wicklow GAA and won a Leinster Hall of Fame Award 2022. He coached Castledermot to an Intermediate Final in Kildare 2022 and Naas to a Senior Final in 2021. He was also a selector for the Ireland International Rules team in 2008 led by Sean Boylan, and was Wicklow’s Senior Football manager from 2004-2006, and won a Club All Ireland as a player with Baltinglass.

•Adrian O’Brien - a native of Limerick will lead the Athletic Performance coaching. Adrian is a very experienced and successful Coach at Club & Inter County Level over several years. Most recently in 2023 the S&C lead with the Clare Senior Hurlers reaching a Munster Senior Hurling Final, and from 2018-2022 he led the Athletic Performance for the Limerick Senior Football team, gaining promotion from Division 4 to Division 2, winning the McGrath Cup, and reaching the Munster Final in that period. He has also had successful spells with Young Munster in Rugby, St Finbarr’s Senior Hurling in Cork, Ballyea Senior Hurlers in Clare, his native Kilmallock, and Limerick U21’s.

•Michael O’Sullivan - a Kildare native from the Newbridge Sarsfields club, living in Drom & Inch, will assist Hugh Kenny as a Skills Performance Coach and will also be a Selector. He is a former Tipperary minor manager and selector, and coach with the Tipperary U21’s. He has worked in the past as Games Development Administrator in Wicklow and Games Manager in Carlow. He has a vast amount of experience of football coaching in club and county and colleges.

•Paul Fitzgerald – a Tipperary stalwart will function as Goalkeeping coach and will also be a Selector. Paul is from the Fethard Club and is currently part of the successful Clonmel Commercials Senior Football management team. He has also previously been part of inter-county Management teams in Tipperary and Offaly working with Liam Kearns.

•Paddy O’Connor - from Blessington, Co. Wicklow will be a Selector and has extensive inter-county experience being part of Senior management teams at Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow, and Carlow. He has also managed and held other roles at Senior club level across Wicklow, Dublin, and Kildare.

•Michael Byrnes - a native of Lattin Cullen will lead the Performance analysis. Michael is a Master of Science in Sports Performance Analysis and has previously worked with Tipperary and Offaly Senior Football teams, and Limerick Camogie.

Commenting on the appointment, Tipperary Football Committee chairperson Conor O’Dwyer said: “I am delighted with the management team we have put in place for the next three years.

“All involved bring a wealth of experience across all aspects of football coaching and management and places Tipperary Football in a strong position to progress and prosper.

“In particular, in Paul Kelly, I believe we have a man with the footballing experience, organisational ability and passion to succeed, to successfully lead Tipperary Football over the next few years.

“We wish him and his team well as they start out on this journey and will do all we can to support them along the way.”

The Tipperary senior football management team appointments will now go to the next county committee meeting for final ratification.