McEntee succeeds Bannigan as Monaghan boss

Former All-Ireland winner John McEntee is appointed Monaghan manager, replacing Gabriel Bannigan. McEntee has spent the past four seasons with Monaghan club Inniskeen Former All-Ireland winner John McEntee has been appointed Monaghan manager, replacing Gabriel Bannigan. McEntee, who helped Armagh win the Sam Maguire in 2002, takes his first inter-county job after spending the past four seasons in charge of Monaghan club Inniskeen. The 49-year-old's appointment was ratified at a county board meeting on Monday night when it was also confirmed that Tony Austin would take over as senior hurling boss. "I'm really excited and looking forward to it. Really privileged and honoured to be asked to take on this role and I'm going to give it my best shot," McEntee told Northern Sound.

"There's been conversations about the Monaghan post for a number of weeks since it became vacant and there were opportunities for clubs to put names forward. "I didn't entertain that at the time because I was focused on Inniskeen but I knew this was naturally going to be the end of my tenure with Inniskeen and I had alternative options but this was the one that excited me the most." He replaces Bannigan, who said "the goalposts have moved" when announcing his departure after two years at the helm in August. After succeeding former Armagh team-mate