Ex-Ireland Soccer International Managing Cork Club's Run At Hurling Championship

An amazing story has emerged in Cork ahead of the second round of group games in the senior county hurling championship.

Denis Hurley of the Cork Echo ran a superb story this weekend detailing the role that former Ireland senior international Dominic Foley is managing one of the clubs involved in this year's county championship.

Foley has ascended to the role gradually after working behind the scenes at the club over the past few years.

The Echo's story reveals the details of how a man who played senior professional football in four different countries has ended up as manager of a Cork hurling side.

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Dominic Foley is a name that will be familiar to Irish football fans who followed the national team during the Mick McCarthy era.

Foley was part of the squad that earned qualification for the 2002 World Cup, playing in two of the qualifying games against Estonia in Finland in 2000.

Two goals came across his other four senior caps, all also earned in 2000 in friendlies played in the United States.

His club career saw him play for the likes of Bohemians, Braga, Wolves, and Gent - quite the eclectic bunch of clubs.

He can now add Charleville to his list, having returned to the GAA spheres he impressed in at youth level.

As Charleville take on the Cork Premier Senior Championship, they will be managed by Foley, a role he says he slotted into naturally, having been working in a backroom capacity over previous years.

"I actually fell into this job by default," Foley told Denis Hurley of the Cork Echo.

At the end of last year, when everybody's looking for coaches and managers and clubs are starting back with their routines and their gym work and everything, I just kind of said, ‘Look, don't be in a panic to find somebody, I can look after them and do the fitness work with them.’

I went in and started the fitness work with them and got things organised and then, all of a sudden, while you're there, you might as well stay!

I had helped out with the junior team a few years back and I know all the boys – as I keep saying to them, I was their biggest fan for the last ten years, going to all the games.

Charleville got their campaign off to a winning start last weekend Newcestown and now face into a mouth-watering local derby against Newtownshandrum.

The club have never won the Cork Premier Senior Championship but won the Senior A title in 2020 with victory over Fr O'Neill's in the final.

Foley says the team are not getting ahead of themselves after their opening win against Newcestown, but a victory over rivals Newtownshandrum would go a long way towards prolonging the dream of county glory.

It's an amazing story and no doubt there will be a few interested eyes keeping tabs on the Cork championship this year due to the unexpected crossover of worlds.

Another hat-tip to Denis Hurley of the Cork Echo for his brilliant interview with Dominic Foley this weekend - you can read his full feature here.