Colm Bonnar has been ‘relieved of his duties’ as Tipperary senior hurling manager.
The county board management committee met on Wednesday night and, after a voting process, the decision was made to move on without the Cashel King Cormacs club-man.
Bonnar took over on a three year term at the beginning of this year but, having been dealt a tough hand in his debut season – his squad suffered a string of untimely injuries after stalwarts Padraic Maher and Brendan Maher had retired – Tipperary struggled and Bonnar won’t get a second chance to rectify it.
Two members of his management team, in Tommy Dunne and Paul Curran, walked away recently and from then, the writing was on the wall. Waterford manager Liam Cahill is rumoured to be Tipperary’s first target as a replacement.
Bonnar won two All-Irelands for Tipp as a player, he was also an All-Star and is widely respected within the county. That is why many in the county feel he deserved better than the below statement.
“Following a very comprehensive review the management committee have made the decision to relieve Colm Bonnar from his duties as Tipperary senior hurling manager.
Tipperary GAA wish to thank Colm for his contribution during his time as senior hurling manager and wish him well in the future.’
The search for a new management team will now commence.”
Former Kilkenny hurler and Offaly manager Michael Fennelly tweeted that this was “absolutely shocking stuff from Tipperary county board.”
Absolutely shocking stuff from @TipperaryGAA county board. https://t.co/DQCcJLRHc8
— Michael Fennelly (@MFennellyKK) July 14, 2022
‘Relieved of his duties,’ is certainly a very strange way to put it and many feel that ‘by mutual consent’ would have been more dignified. Either way, you’d feel for the man who, in many ways, picked up a bit of a poisoned chalice.
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