Colm O'Rourke has stepped down as Meath manager citing an ultimatum he received from the county board.
The 66-year-old spent two years at the helm, winning the Tailteann Cup in his first season before a mediocre second where the Royals finished fourth in their group in the All-Ireland series.
They did maintain Division Two status throughout his tenure, with O'Rourke blooding a number of young players during his spell in charge.
A review into O'Rourke's performance as manager has been ongoing over the last couple of weeks leading to speculation about his future.
The two-time All-Ireland winning player revealed to the Irish Independent on Sunday night that he didn't continue 'chiefly because of a deadline' given to him over his backroom team.
16 June 2024; Meath manager Colm O'Rourke reacts during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 3 match between Monaghan and Meath at Kingspan Breffni in Cavan. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Two of O'Rourke's selectors Barry Callaghan and Stephen Bray had stepped away in recent weeks and O'Rourke was looking to replace them.
He said his pursuit of replacements was at an advanced stage but the county board wanted confirmation for a meeting of the management committee on Monday night, which he felt didn't give him enough time.
Meath county board chairman Jason Plunkett thanked O'Rourke in a statement on Monday morning.
"Everyone in Meath GAA express their heartfelt thanks to Colm and his management team for their hard work over the past two years.
During that time, there has been a major change over in the panel with a large number of players getting their first taste of senior inter-county football.
This group will, undoubtedly, form the basis of Meath teams for many years. Colm and his team managed this transition and along the way managed to win the Tailteann Cup in 2023.
The players will have benefitted enormously by learning from Meath legends like Colm and his selectors: Stephen Bray, Barry Callaghan and Trevor Giles; as well as from the vastly experienced, Shane Supple."
Cathal O Bric, Bernard Flynn, Micheal McDermott and Robbie Brennan are among the early contenders for the job.
