Tipperary GAA have announced that they have appointed Colm Bonnar as the senior hurling manager on a three-year contract.
Bonnar previously coached the Carlow senior hurlers for a three-year period in which he brought the side up to Division One of the National Hurling League and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
Under his management, Carlow won the Christy Ring Cup and the Joe McDonagh Cup in two consecutive years to reach the top of the inter-county hurling pyramid.
The Cashel King Cormacs club man has also managed the Tipperary camogie side – with whom he won an All-Ireland in 1999 – the Wexford senior hurlers and Waterford Institute of Technology.
All three jobs have seen Bonnar help the sides to silverware during his tenures and the 57-year-old has also had various backroom roles with other inter-county sides since getting into coaching.
The former Tipperary hurler is currently working with Kilkenny club Dicksboro alongside ex-Waterford boss Padraig Fanning.
Upon taking up the role as manager of the Tipperary senior hurlers, Bonnar is replacing former head coach Liam Sheedy, who brought All-Ireland success to the Premier County in both his tenures.
Bonnar relishes the opportunity to take on “his biggest, but proudest challenge” as Tipperary Hurling Manager.
“I realise that one of the most successful Tipperary teams ever is obviously coming to a natural transition with the departure of Liam Sheedy and the recent retirement of Brendan Maher and I would like to congratulate them on their amazing careers for Tipperary,” Bonnar said.
“However, I am confident with the experience still in the current squad and the many successful U20/21 and minor teams over the last number of years, there are many talented hurlers in Tipperary bursting to take their opportunity to be successful at senior level, just like I am as the new manager.”
