Kildare County this morning (Monday) named former Glenmore Celtic boss Eric Hannigan as the successor to Dermot Keely, who departed the First Division club last week.
Hannigan, who is from Kildare, is seen by many as a surprise choice for Kildare, who were linked with several more high-profile candidates in the past week, including Belgrove’s former Bohemians boss Pete Mahon, ex-Dundalk manager Martin Murray and Paul O’Brien, who steered Cherry Orchard through to the third round of the FAI Carlsberg Cup on Saturday.
Hannigan reportedly impressed the Kildare board during his interview for the position, and his enthusiasm has won him the job at the helm of the league’s youngest club.
He will be assisted by John Ryan, the former Bray Wanderers, Drogheda and Dundalk player, who took charge on a temporary basis to lead the Thoroughbreds past the challenge of non-league Crumlin United in the FAI Cup on Friday night.
09/08/2003, 10:58 AM
Estar
REMEMBER the strange, eerie feeling you got time and time again during last year’s World Cup. The shock as Senegal beat, France, the way you wondered as South Korea not only beat Italy but Spain, too. Or think back as Hasim Rachman landed a punch on Lennox Lewis as much out of blue as Dermot Keely’s resignation.
Go back 40 years further if you like, North Korea, then - as now - the most secretive country on earth, had announced itself with one of the greatest sporting upsets of all time... They all came from nowhere but left a pleasant taste.
And while the second part of that has yet to be decided, the first is most certainly true of Eric Hannigan. As he was announced at the Kildare County chapel last week, the congregational response was: “Eric who?”
“Even last year, when Kildare were formed, I immediately thought, that’s something I’d like to do. The manager’s seat at County is a job I would love and I thought to myself it’s something I could be really successful at. Naturally, when it came up this time, I jumped at the opportunity. I heard some of the other names being floated about and I didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t get offered the job.
“I think the board were looking for a manager with various dimensions. Obviously, they wanted someone who had had managerial experience but I believe they were looking for somebody who’d played at a high level on the pitch, too. Well, I’ve done all that. I’ve various coaching badges, I’ve been relatively successful and I’ve played at a good level as well. To be honest, I think being a Lilywhite also helped a lot, too.”
Those words are incredibly refreshing in a sport overflowing with our friends from up the road in Dublin but does Eric see this as a manageable step up the managerial ladder?
“I had only ever seen County play once before and that’s down to the fact that even at Glenmore, it’s now a full-time game. There we trained Tuesday and Thursday nights and at the weekend there were matches. At an Eircom League club, it’s much the same, only with different faces. If anything, it’s a bit easier. It can get a bit frustrating at lower levels but there is a much higher standard here. Guys have the ability to do that little bit extra. They are much more professional and committed, and as a manager, initially that’s what you look for.” Hannigan spent much of his playing career with Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne. He also represented Ireland on numerous occasions at junior and intermediate levels. His coaching career doesn’t boast such big names and in his limited days at Kildare County, he has already seen one of the countries top goalkeepers migrate north to Derry City under the Keely wing.
Overawed by his first foray into National League football? Far from it. “I had a great playing career but I think coaching is my strongest point. I like being in charge of guys, directing things on and off the pitch - I think it’s my forte. I was in charge of Kildare Town when I was only 22 and things went well for me with Glenmore, Dundrum’s second team.
“As regards Wayne Russell, well he’s undoubtedly a big loss but we had to look at the situation because he is 35 and we had wondered just how much longer could he have gone on for. We could never get that sort of money again. With the cash from his transfer, we can put it back into the club and if I want to bring in a player, I can.
“But there isn’t going to be some sort of exodus. All the players here are under contract. If people want to offer ridiculous amounts of money, then we will take their offers under consideration. We’ve lost a good goalkeeper but we’ve brought in an able replacement. Danny (O’Leary) is young and has huge potential. Things didn’t go so well for him at Monaghan but in our position, I guess we can exploit these things. Hopefully, back here, things will go a lot better for him.”
Hannigan is still trying on the shoes left by his predecessor but what did he make of the Keely exit? “Dermot is a very honest guy and you can’t blame him for taking an opportunity like the one at Derry City. And with his personal situation (his partner lives in nearby Donegal) you really can’t say no to something like that.
“But for me, it has given me the opportunity to fulfil my dream. I wouldn’t want to be at any other club. He left a great foundation that I want to build on and as a Kildare man I’d love to take this side to the top flight and a bit down the line maybe even European football, who knows. I want to see my home team playing week in week out against the likes of Bohemians.
“But you can’t get carried away, you have to look at the job in hand and although it’s difficult coming in mid-season we’re in a good position. I don’t know what Dermot’s ambition and aim was but in the dressing room after Friday night’s game against Athlone, I told the lads we want the title, not the playoffs. I want to see us go straight up. If it did come down to the play-offs I think we could win that, too.
“I’ve just come from a club that has caused numerous upsets against higher ranked teams so having any of the Premier Division clubs in there wouldn’t bother me. We have a team here nobody wants to come up against.
“But in saying that, it isn’t going to be easy. Dublin is now top and Saturday will tell me an awful lot. Bray has the history and Finn Harps are probably playing the best football. But as I said, we can win it. We’re a very physical side and we have a lot of speed in all areas of the pitch. We play a brand of football that wouldn’t appeal to a lot of people including myself but it’s results that count. I guess it’s alien but I’ve coped with that before.
“In this division, it’s very difficult to play expansive, exciting football. You’re just not allowed. In the future, I may try and change all that but for the moment, there is no point in altering something that is already successful. My one worry, however, is our performance in front of goal. We don’t rank very highly in the scoring charts and I’d like to see more goals from all areas of the field. In the long run, that may involve bringing in someone but I’ll have to see about that in the future.
“But for now, we need to get focused very quickly. I think success now can change things off the field. Kildare’s exit from the GAA championship has meant that maybe a run in the second half of this campaign can help us attract more support. It’s something else we as a club can exploit. Let the success come and the support will follow.”
The jury is still out on Hannigan and it will be for a little while to come. Coming in mid-season won’t help his cause but as a Lilywhite, he should know better than most that expectations in these parts are unrelentingly high.
