Meath have parted company with senior football manager Eamonn O’Brien.
The Royal County board met in Navan on Monday evening, a meeting at which it was voted 32-29 not to continue with O’Brien despite his leading of the side to the Leinster title this year.
Meath put five goals past Dublin in the Leinster semi-final on their way to that provincial victory, though it was one that remains shrouded in controversy following their late winning goal in the final against Louth, one that clearly should not have stood.
The side could not go any further though, losing to Kildare in the All-Ireland quarter-final and Monday saw the management committee’s recommendation that O’Brien continue into a third term rejected by club delegates.
The Irish Times reports that John Purfield of the St Patrick’s club argued that the management team was not strong enough and this stance was backed by other delegates, who criticised O'Brien's slowness in making substitutions in the lost All-Ireland semi.
Chairman Barney Allen and Central Council representative Brendan Cummins reportedly defended O’Brien, but in the end he was out-voted and the county must now look for a new man, with county legend and TV pundit Colm O’Rourke once again seeing his name in the frame.