Buckley new Mayo coach as swap deal with Kerry complete

Kerry native Donie Buckley has been appointed to new Mayo coach, replacing the man who succeeded him in the Kerry set-up.

By Declan Whooley

Cian O’Neill had been the coach under James Horan but with work and travel commitments decided to leave the post. He joined up with Eamonn Fitzmaurice in the Kerry set-up and effectively filled the position vacated by Buckley after he stepped down following Jack O’Connor’s resignation.

Mayo manager Horan is delighted to welcome Buckley into the set-up and feels he will add great vales to their team.

“Donie is an outstanding coach. He is ideal man for us at this stage of our development and I know that the players will learn a lot from working with him. We’re looking to progress and develop all the time and this is a great step forwards,” he said in today’s Irish Examiner.

The two new coaches will face their former sides in the opening game of the National League when Kerry travel to Castlebar on February 2nd next year.