The beginning of the end or the end of the beginning it's hard to tell exactly which it was, but after a long drawn out saga James Horan was the last man left standing when decision was finally made. After months of talk, chatter, sure things and favorites it was the Ballintubber man who came through after the chase rounded the last corner. The guessing game was finally over when the white smoke puffed out from the new stand in McHale Park and the two time All Star was unveiled as the man to lead Mayo into the future and towards what everyone hopes will be a bright new direction.
And it's a man whose has the same name as the famed Monsignor who was the driving force behind bringing Knock airport to Mayo who has been entrusted with our flight into the future. While Horan may have only a tender number of years behind him in club management, his abilities have been signposted this year by guiding Ballintubber to their first ever senior county final.
The decision was made by the five man management committee set up last week and they put their choice before the executive committee and the club delegates who all rowed in behind the choice.
Horan will be backed up by a back-room team including Martin Connelly, James Nallen, Paul Jordan acting as trainers and selectors. Horan was given a three year term with a review after each year, and it was announced that he would be having a number of trial games to assess and find the best talent in the county before selecting a panel for 2011. In the National Football League Mayo will play Down, Kerry, Armagh and Cork at home in 2011 and will travel to Galway, Dublin and Monaghan.
