Martin Murphy steps up as shocked Offaly prepare to honour Kearns on and off the field

MICHAEL Duignan got the shock of his life when he learned of the sudden death of Offaly senior football manager Liam Kearns on Sunday evening.

Offaly U-20 hurling manager, Leo O'Connor initially rang him, telling him that he had heard the Kerry man had passed away. O'Connor is a Limerick man, Kearns lives just outside Limerick city and news of his sudden passing was spreading in the area at that stage.

The Offaly GAA chairman's initial reaction was one of disbelief. Kearns had trained Offaly on Sunday morning in Kilcormac's Faithful Fields where he was in great form and was looking forward to Saturday's National Football League game against Tipperary in Thurles – Kearns had previously managed Tipperary, bringing them to an All-Ireland semi-final in 2016 and he was really looking forward to crossing swords with them.

Dismissing it as a false rumour, Duignan immediately rang Liam Kearns' phone. It was answered by his daughter, Laura who told him the devastating news was true. “That is how I found out,” he confirmed. The Durrow club man was understandably shell shocked and he has talked in glowing terms about the contribution Kearns has made in his short term as Offaly senior senior football manager.

There had been some suggestions that Offaly would attempt to get Saturday's National Football League game in Thurles called off but it has been confirmed that it is going ahead. The game will have an earlier throw in of 2.00pm – it had been originally fixed for 6pm but Michael Duignan revealed that Offaly looked for the earlier throw in as it would be easier on players and not have them waiting around all day for it.

It promises to be a hugely emotional occasion as Kearns had made a very positive impact in Offaly and is remembered with great fondness in Tipperary where he made great strides during his four years in charge.

As expected Gracefield's Martin Murphy is stepping up as manager. A selector with Kearns alongside Tullamore's John Rouse, Murphy was the obvious man to take over as manager. He will take charge for the remaining two league games against Tipp and Down and while the County Board will assess the situation after this, he will almost certainly stay at the helm for the championship.

With a championship date looming in Longford on April 9, it would make no sense to attempt to appoint a complete outsider now. The training programme and Liam Kearns' plans are in place for the coming week and asking the remaining management to continue on was the logical solution. Coach Alan Flynn, a Galway man, will become a selector and the remainder of the backroom team will remain in place.

Martin Murphy is one of the most experienced managers in Offaly. He has previously managed Offaly U21 footballers and most recently, has enjoyed great success with his neighbours across the Laois border, Portarlington.

The players, management and County Board chairman and secretary, Michael Duignan and Colm Cummins met for a chat and cup and tea on Monday evening. While wishing to keep the details of the meeting private, Michael Duignan said: “We felt it was important to come in. It was emotional enough. We felt it was good to have a chat about Liam and the impact he has made. He has had a really positive impact and is a loss to the whole county.”

He stated that the players are keen to honour Liam's memory by keeping up their performance levels over the coming weeks – they have secured their status in Division 3 of the National Football League with wins over Antrim, Fermanagh and Longford while wins in their last two games against Tipperary and Down would have them very close to promotion.

That, however, is not on anyone's mind at the moment. Instead, Liam Kearns' removal on Wednesday evening and funeral on Thursday will occupy most attention – Michael Duignan will be there Wednesday evening and Thursday while the players are travelling en-bloc on Thursday and will perform a guard of honour.

Liam Kearns was a surprise choice as Offaly senior football manager last August. Kerry man Tomas O'Se was the clear favourite after John Maughan stepped down and his decision to opt out came as a big blow to the County Board. All-Ireland U-20 winning manager Declan Kelly was also a serious contender but didn't go forward and Offaly made a cold call to Kearns.

Michael Duignan said: “I knew of Liam Kearns from a distance and had spoken to him. I admired what he did, his track record and what he achieved, particularly with Limerick and Tipperary.

“He came up to meet us in Faithful Fields and I knew within five minutes, he was the right man for us. He was so professional and so organised. He had a few other offers and after a good discussion, he was very happy with our ambition and he wanted to be part of our journey. He wanted to get it right because this was going to be his last job. He was 60 years of age when we appointed him and he said, whether he was here three, four or five years, he wanted to have a go at it and do well.

“As impressed as we were that day, it was nothing compared to since and the whole squad was the same. His work ethic, his attention to detail was unbelievable. He did all his own analysis of opposition, referees, management teams. His knowledge was unbelievable.

“He was down a lot of players but he put that behind us. He had a great squad of players, he had confidence in them and he got on with it. We have had a really good league considering the number of players we have been missing. He was looking forward to getting players back next year and was totally positive.

“He was working on his one on one relationships with players, the management and backroom team. Everyone was really tuned in. He was a great people's person and it is hard to believe. His loss to Angela, Laura, Rachel is immense. His parents are still alive. They are all sports people. His loss for Offaly football going forward is really huge. It is a terrible shock and so sad.”

It was suggested that the wider Offaly GAA public required a bit of convincing when Kearns was initially appointed but it wasn't long before really positive word was emerging from the camp and it was clear that things were going well.

“We did look at that and whether he was a bit old. It was a big thing that he was retired and had time. He had backed away from county jobs because he didn't want to get a journey man reputation. He did go for the Galway job and was disappointed not to get it. It was my first time appointing county managers this year and I was really anxious to get the best person for Offaly and the players. I had no doubt about Liam from day one and was so excited for the future and where we were going. I spoke to him a few times every week and a lot of our conversations were about where we were going and he had big plans.”

Duignan concluded: “That is in tatters today but we have to stay going. We will go out on Saturday and try and do our best. First we have to get through the funeral. All the players are going on Thursday and I am going tomorrow evening. We will get through that and then do our best and try and honour his memory in an appropriate way on the field.”