VINNIE’S BROTHER JOINS MONAGHAN

COLM SHALVEY REPORTS

Monaghan’s lengthy search for a new senior football manager finally ended last Thursday when former stalwart player Vinnie Corey was appointed as Séamus McEnaney’s successor. Almost three months after ‘Banty’ stepped down in the wake of Monaghan’s championship exit with a qualifier defeat away to Mayo, the county board turned to Corey, whose Clontibret side are in SFC semi-final action this Sunday. The versatile Corey retired from the inter-county scene as recently as 2019 after making a record 184 appearances and he soon found himself back involved with Monaghan when he joined McEnaney’s backroom team for the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, acting as interim manager for a spell in that first year.

As part of his coaching ticket, he can call on his twin brother Martin, who spent four seasons working with Mickey Graham in Cavan, the highlight of which was their shock Ulster SFC win in 2020. The twotime Ulster SFC winner also brings one of his former Monaghan teammates, Castleblayney’s Dermot McArdle, as well as Gabriel Bannigan, who is currently in charge of his native Aughnamullen after several years of managerial experience with clubs in Dublin…