The Carlow footballers are in disarray just over a week out from their Leinster championship first round clash against Meath, with manager Shane Curran resigning over 'player-related issues.'
Carlow defeated London 1-18 to 1-17 in the final round of the league last Sunday but the county has since been rocked by the news of their management team departing.
"Shane Curran has informed Carlow GAA that he and his backroom team are stepping away from the management of the Carlow senior football team with immediate effect," read a statement from the Carlow county board.
"This decision was based on player-related issues which he believed were beyond the scope of the management team.
"Carlow GAA are in the process of looking for an interim senior football manager for the championship season."
1 February 2025; Carlow manager Shane Curran before during the Allianz Football League Division 4 match between Waterford and Carlow at Fraher Field in Dungarvan, Waterford. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Carlow got off to a decent start in Division Four, drawing with Tipperary first time out before defeating Waterford.
But comprehensive losses to high flyers Wexford and Limerick and a subsequent loss to Wicklow stopped their promotion bid in its tracks.
They rallied with closing wins over Longford and London to finish fourth in the division, giving them some momentum ahead of what was always going to be a tricky assignment against the Royals in Páirc Tailteann. It gets even trickier with the team in limbo, scrambling for a new management team at such short notice ahead of the championship.
Curran has previously managed a number of club teams including Caulry in Westmeath, Durrow in Offaly and Padraig Pearses in his native Roscommon.
He won an All-Ireland club title as goalkeeper for St Brigid's in 2013 having also played inter-county for Roscommon and League of Ireland for Athlone.
Carlow will contest the Tailteann Cup this summer unless they reach the Leinster senior football final, which would see them into the Sam Maguire. They finished bottom of their group in the Tailteann Cup last summer.
Their commitment has been questioned on the back of the news but Carlow legend and the county's highest ever scorer Darragh Foley defended his former team-mates, saying 'the current group of Carlow players have been let down time and time again.'
Foley was responding to Irish News journalist Brendan Crossan on X, who posted an extract of an interview with former Carlow manager Niall Carew saying he was 'putting out fires every week' managing the team.
Maybe you should ask one of the players for a comment Brendan. GAA managers always blame players for their failings so they can pick up a job somewhere else.
The current group of Carlow players have been let down time and time again, I’m delighted to see them make a stand.
— Darragh Foley (@Dfoley9) March 27, 2025
'GAA managers always blame players for their failings so they can pick up a job somewhere else," Foley wrote on X. The current group of Carlow players have been let down time and time again, I’m delighted to see them make a stand
"And not accept poor standards anymore. 9 players and a coach that works with Carlow Gaa left outgoing setup over the last few weeks. Onwards and upwards hopefully now.'
