Three years after taking charge of Roscommon's senior football team, it has been confirmed that Kevin McStay's tenure as manager has come to an end.
It had been rumoured that a decision regarding his future would be made tonight, and, it has now emerged that he has decided to depart the role.
It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Kevin McStay has stepped down as Roscommon Senior Team Manager. #rosgaa #gaa pic.twitter.com/fQr0b5jNIt
— Roscommon GAA (@RoscommonGAA) September 5, 2018
In a statement released in the immediate aftermath of McStay's announcement, he all but ruled out the prospect that his destination was Mayo.
Far from looking at any prospective roles, McStay confirmed that his decision to leave Roscommon coincided with a decision to leave inter-county management altogether.
So, after much consideration I have decided not to take up the Chairman’s invitation. I’ve done three years, every one of them challenging and sometimes exhausting. In reviewing my time in charge I have to acknowledge the inordinate amount of time I spent dealing with financial and facility issues, personnel issues, media issues and the various contentious and controversial events that kept arising over those seasons.
Success is what we all crave but we must understand our reality too. While Roscommon is a proud football county, it is a small county with a limited playing pool and deficits in resources and facilities. The budget required to finance success at the highest level demands year-round attention. Facilities, Catering, Kit & Equipment, Professional expertise and, especially, Travel costs are major financial drainers and they are placing a massive burden on voluntary officers that is often overwhelming.
These are the significant challenges the smaller GAA counties face. If the GAA is committed to ensuring all counties are, at a minimum, competitive, then they must be supported financially in a way that reflects the demands and the need for fairness, equity and solidarity.
I am privileged to say the Roscommon GAA family entrusted their team to me for three years. We had our share of special days, mostly grand days and of course, some very tough days. But overall, on reflection, these have been three of the greatest years of my life. Leaving the safety of the pundits chair for the passion and glory of the dressing room and football field is a decision I’ll never regret. However, today marks my retirement from senior inter county football management.
I look forward to a less stressful period now, concentrating more on work and family life and to supporting Roscommon and Mayo teams in 2019 and beyond.
A former inter-county footballer with Mayo, McStay had enjoyed significant success with Roscommon's St. Brigid's club before taking on the senior county job in 2015.
During his reign in charge of Roscommon, he led the county to Connacht championship success in 2017. This time out, Roscommon made it back to the Connacht final once again, but were outdone by Kevin Walsh's Galway in the end.
Bringing Roscommon to the inaugural Super 8 series nevertheless, McStay's men were convincingly beaten by Tyrone, Donegal and Dublin.
You can read Kevin McStay's full statement here.
