Major blow for Meath Ladies as Shane McCormack steps down as manager

LADIES FOOTBALL Manager issues statement

Meath Ladies' manager Shane McCormack has stepped down from his role just weeks after taking the Royal County to an All-Ireland final.

The Kildare native was just over a year in the the position - the 2024 season ending with an All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to eventual champions Kerry. However, this season, Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final were dispatched before the Royals suffered a 2-16 to 0-10 loss to Dublin in the final.

Performance coach Tony Reilly has also left the management team.

A statement released by the Meath LGFA last night (Friday 29th August) confirmed both men had stepped away from their positions.

"Meath LGFA wishes to confirm that Manager Shane McCormack and Performance Coach Tony Reilly have stepped away from their roles with immediate effect.

"We would like to sincerely thank Shane and Tony for their dedication, commitment, and contribution to the team during their time in charge. Their efforts, both on and off the field, have been greatly appreciated by players, management, and supporters alike.

"We wish them both the very best in their future endeavours."

On Saturday afternoon McCormack issued his own statement through Meath LGFA and thanked those he worked with during the year.

"I have made the tough decision to step away as manager of the Meath Senior Ladies.

"I am very proud to have been part of bringing this new group to the All-Ireland FinaI this year. It was a tough decision to make, but after five years on the road, I need to spend some time at home with my daughter Lily and wife Lorraine.

"I enjoyed my time in Meath. I look forward to cheering the team on in the future.

"Be certain that in the last two years as Manager, I left no stone unturned in an effort to achieve our goals. I would like to thank my management team - Tony, Wayne, Lee, John, Darren, Eugene, Ross, Paddy and the brilliant Kelley Fay - who have all been incredibly supportive throughout the last two years.

"Special mention to our FLO’s, Mary and Audrey, and the legend of a kitman Packie, for all the selfless work they did to ensure everything ran smoothly.

"Thank you most importantly to the players. They are a fantastic group of people, and I will always have the utmost respect and admiration for them all.

"I would also like to thank the County Board for the opportunity.

"Thank you for all the great memories, and I wish Meath every success in the future."

McCormack's departure comes after a bitterly disappointing finish to what has been an incredible journey for the Royals in 2025. Halfway through the league, Meath were struggling badly and at that stage no one would have predicted that McCormack's side would reach an All-Ireland final.

The Royals put their heads down and worked hard and deservedly earned their spot in Sunday 3rd August showcase. However, nothing went right for Meath on the day and they fell to a heavy defeat.

In his post-match interview, the Kildare native told the Meath Chronicle's Fergal Lynch how gutted he was for his players and spoke about how difficult it was to claw back Dublin after they made a lightning-quick start.

"I'm very disappointed for the girls. They didn't deserve that. They've put in serious hard work over the last year and a half. We were 11 points down at half-time. Maybe if that goal chance went in in the first few minutes, it would have given us a little bit more momentum going into the second half but if a Dublin team gets ahead of you, they're very hard to claw back. I think we just lost the second half there by a point, so that's a small bit of a positive, but I'm just gutted for the girls, to be honest with you." said McCormack.

"There are nine girls there who got their first senior start in an All-Ireland final. I keep mentioning about rebuilding, but that's what it is. There are 16 girls here on this panel that we brought in over the last year and a half. They're a super bunch there and I know they'll stick together."

McCormack was keen to praise the efforts of his management team for the work that they have done with Meath since he took over as manager. He also spoke about the fantastic atmosphere that his management has created within the group.

"I'm very lucky with the management group this year. They've been fantastic the last year and a half. Wayne Freeman has left no stone unturned there. Lee (Hunt), Darren (Clarke), John (O'Connor), Tony (Reilly), Ross (Flynn), Eugene (Eivers), Packie (Reilly), Mary (O'Shaughnessy), and Audrey (Kelleher-Murphy). I have to mention them all because they're part of this journey as well and they're part of that circle inside there. They're a fantastic bunch to work with, it's just such a good atmosphere and that's why this is a very hard one for them to take."

Now Meath are on the look out for their fifth manager for the senior team following the surprise departure of two-time All-Ireland SFC winning boss Eamonn Murray in 2022.

Davy Nelson took over in 2023, but stepped down before the All-Ireland series with Jenny Rispin taking over on an interim basis.

McCormack and his management took over in 2024, but now Meath LGFA are looking for a new manager again.