Michael Ryan has stepped down as Ballymacarbry ladies football boss.
One of the most successful managers in the game guided the club to their 40th county title in a row last November with a 4-5 to 0-7 win over Comeragh Rangers. In his previous spell as bainsteoir, he led Ballymac to ten All Irelands and 14 Munster club championships. Mike Guiry will take over for 2022.
Ryan first took charge of the team back in 1975 for a two-year stint. He returned in 1982 as Ballymac became the number one club side in the country. In a golden period between 1987 and 1998, Ballymac won ten All Irelands. He stepped away in 2006 but returned as selector in 2018 and managed the team for the past two seasons.
“I’ve been back with four years and I felt that they needed a new voice," he told WLR’s Lár Na Pairce show. "I probably needed to step away from it myself, there’s a certain amount of time you can give with players. Now, they’re a fantastic bunch of players, they won the championship last year and it was a tough championship to win because Comeragh Rangers are a really good side. Mike Guiry is taking over as manager and John Phelan is still there so they’ll still be a very formidable side. I think it’s for the betterment of everybody. They probably needed a new voice and I needed to step back from it as well. It’s a win-win all round.”
Ryan will remain in charge of The Nire footballers and the Fourmilewater hurlers in 2022. He will also serve as selector with the Waterford Under 20 hurlers under Gary O’Keeffe.
Hear more from Michael Ryan on Lár Na Pairce from 6.10.
