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INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Meath delegates back embattled McEnaney

The under-fire Royals manager has survived the vote, despite 43 people voting to oust him from his post.

Updated at 21.56

MEATH GAA DELEGATES have tonight backed under-fire football manager Seamus McEnaney.

There were 74 votes cast and the board needed a two-thirds majority, which meant they required 50 people to back their motion.

In the end they fell substantially short, mustering a pyrrhic victory on a 43 -31 count.

The die was cast early in the meeting when the first delegate to speak in favour of McEnaney remaining in charge received a sustained round of applause.

And chairman Barney Allen alienated delegates when he refused to allow one of his sternest critics Eamonn Barry to speak, claiming he was not the designated delegate from his club that was allowed to talk.

Former board chairman Pat O’Neill wanted to know how the players felt and Allen had to admit that when he had spoken to them, they took full responsibility for the team’s relegation to Division Three of the league .

In a tense atmosphere, Allen face serious hostility from the floor over his denial to delegates at the last county committee meeting that he knew anything about Sean Boylan’s resignation as director of football.

Carnaross representative Eugene Comaskey blasted, “You have turned this around tonight because you are in trouble over what you said the last night.”

And Allen’s fate was sealed when he  claimed that he had approached Boylan to step in as manager if McEnaney was removed after a management meeting.

However, former county chairman Brendan Dempsey revealed no such meeting ever took place.

The county board’s executive committee last week proposed that ‘Banty’ be removed from his position and legendary coach Sean Boylan be reinstated.

The Royals were relegated to the third tier of the National Football League with defeat to rivals and neighbours Louth.

Several clubs have rallied behind his cause however and the senior panel expressed their wish privately for a continuity after a meeting earlier in the week. Having survived the vote Banty now lives to fight another day and will presumably turn his focus to the Leinster championship.

The ballot is an embarrassment for chairman Barney Allen, who will now feel the pressure himself.

Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy and Adrian Russell

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    Mute Gavin Ward
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    Apr 18th 2012, 10:11 PM

    Getting rid of him would have really hindered their chances of getting any good non-Meath managers in the future. Correct decision, although a majority in favor would gave cemented his role.
    ….oh and did I mention – Up Louth.

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    Mute CMD
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    Apr 18th 2012, 9:57 PM

    I’m glad he’s a good. Manager

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    Mute Jingles
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    Apr 19th 2012, 12:30 AM

    You might just want to build a bridge over that 2010. It’ll keep ya up at night focusing on it.

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    Mute Karl Harty
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    Apr 19th 2012, 8:08 AM

    Yeah and it’ll give louth the heart and determination to hopefully go out there and maybe beat them ensuring they play in division 3 some day….. Oh wait! Up the wee county!

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    Mute Silent P
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    Apr 19th 2012, 2:00 PM

    I’ve no problems sleeping. Cheers.

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    Mute Finnian Curran
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    Apr 18th 2012, 11:34 PM

    Allen is such a tool. Hope he resigns with no haste

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    Mute Silent P
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    Apr 19th 2012, 12:09 AM

    Gavin Ward is wise like an old man. Well said. Great to see Meath football in disarray. The injustice of the 2010 Leinster Final is Karma biting Meath hard in the ass. Long may it continue.

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    Mute Finnian Curran
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    Apr 19th 2012, 11:28 PM

    GET OVER IT.

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    Mute rita martin
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    Apr 18th 2012, 11:35 PM

    The politics of the GAA is much more cut throat than the Dail.

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    Mute Ivor O'Sullivan
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    Apr 18th 2012, 10:16 PM

    Lost vote but still in charge. Don’t ya love the GAA!

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    Mute Brian O' Brien
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    Apr 18th 2012, 10:27 PM

    Yeah seems daft although you tend to need to thirds majority in most constitutions.

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    Mute D O C
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    Apr 18th 2012, 11:56 PM

    That is his salary safe so…. Oh wait ssshhh.

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    Mute Brian O' Donoghue
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    Apr 19th 2012, 12:44 AM

    Sorry to be a pain in the back side, any more information other than whats above? still feel like I don’t know the full story!

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    Mute Billygoatmuff
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    Apr 19th 2012, 7:18 AM

    Basically Meath are as useful as tits on a bull.

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    Mute Dexter Gordon
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    Apr 19th 2012, 8:51 AM

    Who cares ..

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