Former Laois star joins new Pearses management team

Pádraig Pearses GAA has appointed Frank Canning as their new senior football manager, with former Laois star Ross Munnelly part of his backroom team in a coaching role.

Canning succeeds Pat Flanagan who guided Pearses to their first Roscommon senior football title in 2019. The former Westmeath and Offaly manager led the club to a second Fahey Cup success in three years in 2021, with Pearses then going on to win the Connacht club senior crown. Flanagan has since taken over Sarsfields of Kildare.

A brother of former Galway hurling stars Joe and Ollie, Frank Canning managed Portumna to the last of their four All-Ireland club senior titles in 2014. His son Seán plays football and hurling with Pearses, regularly impressing for the club at underage level.

Munnelly won a Leinster SFC medal with Laois in 2003 and was on the team which reached the following two provincial finals, losing to Westmeath after a replay in 2004, and to Dublin by a single point in 2005.

The lengthy and distinguished service that Munnelly gave Laois can be gauged from the fact that he was introduced as a substitute in last year’s Tailteann Cup clash against Westmeath - which proved his last game for the O’Moore County.

Munelly is also well known for his involvement with Gaelic football in Dublin City University.

In addition to Munnelly, the Pearses management team includes Niall Finneran and Cathal Óg Sullivan, who have been appointed as selectors with their home club.

In the 2022 Roscommon SFC, Padraig Pearses were dethroned as county and Connacht champions when defeated by Roscommon Gaels in the quarter-finals.