Surprise Solan move looks a solid choice for Offaly
By Kevin Egan
A line was drawn under months of speculation and conjecture when Mike Solan was confirmed as the incoming Offaly senior football manager on Wednesday evening, with fellow Mayo man Joe Keane and Nigel Dunne of Shamrocks announced as selectors alongside the Ballaghaderreen native.
It is no small achievement of the Offaly GAA executive and the seven-man selection committee that Solan was not one of the handful of names that floated around the county over the past month, while at the same time his announcement comes early enough that he will be in a position to take in a decent amount of club championship action over the next couple of months, no doubt starting with the O’Connor Park double headers this Saturday and Sunday.
On paper, Solan’s profile would warrant cautious optimism in advance of the 2027 season. He has acquired a range of experience over the past decade and his time at the helm of Longford over the past couple of years gives him experience of managing an intercounty team, as well as preparing teams to play under the new rules.
Joe Keane has worked with Solan in many of his previous roles while Dunne’s ability to uplift a team’s fortunes with his insight and infectious enthusiasm is undeniable, while more members of the backroom team are likely to be added between now and the start of pre-season training.
As with all managers, new and old, luck will play a huge part in the team’s fortunes. It would be a surprise if either Cillian Bourke or Cathal Flynn are available for selection in 2027 but all things being equal, Paddy Dunican and John Furlong will return to action in the coming month or so, which is an immediate boost.
Ruairí McNamee and Aaron Kelleghan are just two players out of a handful who may choose to make themselves available for selection, ending the anomaly of an Offaly senior football panel without Rhode players, with Cian McNamee also likely to be drafted in to be part of the panel, even if his involvement on the field in competitive games would have to be managed carefully.
Of course, the law of averages states that other players may pick up serious injuries over the course of their club campaigns, and indeed there will be those for whom the push and pull factors of life lead them to consider career and lifestyle options outside of Ireland, so just as there will be new players on board, chances are there will be those who are not available to Solan and his coaches as well.
For now, all that can be said with certainty is that it was a well-managed process that ultimately yielded the proposal of an individual that is on an upward trajectory in his managerial career, and one that clubs are likely to accept with little demurral at next month’s county board meeting.