Tooreen’s Ray Larkin ratified as new sole manager of the Mayo senior hurlers

 

Tooreen’s Ray Larkin was ratified this evening as the new sole manager of the Mayo senior hurlers at the Mayo GAA County Board meeting at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park. Ray Larkin had worked as joint-manager of the Mayo senior hurlers with Brian Finn for the past year. After Brian Finn informed Mayo GAA that he was stepping back from the position for personal reasons, Ray Larkin and the current backroom team indicated they would like to continue in the position. Ray was proposed and ratified as the new sole manager this evening.

A Galway native, Ray Larkin led Tooreen hurling club to the AIB GAA All-Ireland Intermediate hurling final against Limerick’s Monaleen in Croke Park last year. The Kilnadeema/Leitrim clubman has won five senior county hurling finals and four Connacht hurling titles as a coach and manager. He has managed the Tooreen senior hurlers since 2020.

Mayo GAA Chairperson Seamus Tuohy said Ray Larkin and his backroom team had the full support of the county board and all the hurling clubs in the county. “I would like to wish Ray and his backroom team well. There is a lot of interest and support for hurling in Mayo at present and the emergence of several new adult hurling clubs in recent years augers well for the future,” commented Seamus Tuohy.

Mayo GAA Hurling committee chairperson Sean Ó Raghallaigh said tremendous work is taking place in the clubs and in the county to promote hurling at present. “Our senior hurling team is the flagship for all our club players and it is so important that Ray gets the full backing of all the hurling clubs and the Mayo GAA County Board. We now have twelve adult hurling teams in the county and all these players will get an opportunity to make the grade at senior intercountry level,” commented Sean Ó Raghallaigh.

Ray Larkin has retained the services of former Galway senior hurler Nigel Shaughnessy as head coach. The Loughrea native has coached senior hurling club sides Clarinbridge and Killimordaly in Galway and Na Piarsaigh in Limerick. Former Sligo senior hurling manager Pádraig Mannion is also staying onboard. The Galway native won back-to-back Allianz National Hurling League promotions with Sligo in 2020 and 2021. He also managed the Athleague senior hurling team to the Roscommon County Hurling Final in 2020.