Connacht FA appoints Mayo man as manager of its men's interpro team
The Connacht Football Association has confirmed the appointment of Westport native Joe Kelly as manager of the men's interprovincial team.
The team will participate in the FAI Amateur Interprovincial Tournament, which will be hosted by Connacht and held in Sligo from March 22 to 24.
Joe will lead the team into the competition with a very experienced coaching team comprising of Ger McGrath (Galway), Neil McKenna (Sligo), Eamonn Daly (Mayo), Aine Gildea (physio) and Michael McTiernan (kit man).
The winner of the tournament will represent Ireland in the UEFA Regions Cup 2024/25.
Joe has enjoyed huge success at club level with Westport United, both as a player and coach. Winning all honours across the junior game as a player, his impressive coaching CV started in Westport as he captured various Connacht regional titles with many underage teams within the club as well as reaching two national semi-finals and a post-primary schools national final. He also managed Mayo Schoolboys to its first national title at inter-county level in 2017.
In recent years, Joe has coached Westport United B to a treble cup success, including the Connacht Shield, in his first year in the role. He is currently the manager of the Mayo League Oscar Traynor Cup squad, who have been crowned Connacht champions and now go on to the national quarterfinals of the competition.
The selection of players and preparation of trials for the tournament will begin in the coming days, where Joe and his coaching staff will be reaching out to both leagues and clubs.
Joe told the Connacht FA website: “It’s a great honour for me to be appointed by the Connacht FA to this very prestigious role leading and coaching the outstanding talent we have in the region for the tournament. To be chosen to represent the association is the pinnacle of recognition.”
He added: “I am lucky to have with me some of the best coaches from the various leagues within the province and as a coaching team, our aim is to select the best 20 players available to us in the region, which will be no easy task given the quality displayed by our Oscar Traynor teams, and to make it an enjoyable experience for all players between now and March.
“This is a great opportunity for amateur players in Connacht to represent their province, with the winners representing Ireland in the UEFA Regions Cup in 2024/25.”
Joe concluded by thanking the Mayo Football League for their great support.