Monaghan GAA have announced that Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney will stay on as head coach of the county’s senior footballers for the 2022 season.
Banty will take charge for a third season of his second stint with the Farney Army after a strong season for the inter-county side.
McEnaney returned to the role in 2020, having previously managed the side for six years from 2004 to 2010.
The manager replaced Malachy O’Rourke in the role, after the latter stepped down following a qualifier defeat to Armagh in 2019.
O’Rourke brought the county their most recent Ulster Championship titles in 2013 and 2015 and reached the All-Ireland semi-final in 2018.
A statement on the Monaghan GAA website reads: “Following a management meeting last night, Wednesday the 15th, Monaghan GAA have re-ratified Seamus McEnaney & his backroom team as our Senior Management Team.”
Monaghan reached their first Ulster final since 2015 under the Corduff-born manager earlier this year but lost out to eventual All-Ireland champions Tyrone by a point.
In Banty’s first year, the side failed to get past eventual Anglo-Celt Cup winners Cavan in the preliminary round of the Ulster senior football championship.
The Oriel County have struggled in the league in the past two years but they still maintain Division One status for 2022 after a relegation play-off win over Galway in extra-time.
McEnaney was suspended for 12 weeks by the county board following his team’s training breach at the beginning of the 2021 season.
In his first stint with the Ulster side, Banty and Monaghan won Division Two in 2005 and reached two provincial finals in 2007 and 2010 – losing to Mickey Harte’s Tyrone on both occasions.
The Corduff clubman has previously been at the helm of the Meath and Wexford senior footballers, as well as the Monaghan minor team.
The two-time Monaghan boss has a backroom that consists of Donie Buckley, Peter Donnelly, Conor Laverty, David McCague and Ray Boyne currently.
