Less than 24 hours after guiding the Antrim ladies to a fourth all Ireland junior title, Michael Devlin has tendered his resignation with immediate effect.
Devlin, from Glenavey, was in his second year as manager along with Chris Scullion. They had helped the Saffrons to Division Two of the National League this year and helped the side to six finals in all.
Earlier this season, he had outlined his genuine frustration and annoyance with the Antrim county board over fixtures and the demands put on his players.
Antrim players Aoife Kelly, Emma Louise McAreavey and Maria O’Neill celebrate after their side’s victory in the LGFA TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship final match between Antrim and Carlow at Croke Park in Dublin. PICTURE: SHAUNA CLINTON/Sportsfile (Shauna Clinton / SPORTSFILE/SPORTSFILE)
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After beating Sligo in the last four, he also stated:
“It’s not enough coming here to an All-Ireland semi-final with just 21 players.”
“That’s down to player accountability, and things that happened outside the player group – there’s no point in trying to gloss that over. But look, we are happy with the win.”
For Sunday’s All-Ireland final, where Antrim beat Carlow 1-13 to 2-9, he had 24 available players.
Joint manager Scullion’s future remains unclear.