Former Ireland rugby international appointed manager of prominent Meath GAA club

FORMER Ireland rugby international Niall Ronan has been appointed manager of the St Colmcille’s senior footballers in his native Meath.

The former Leinster and Munster flanker — who was capped four times by Ireland under Declan Kidney — was forced to retire from rugby in 2014 due to a knee injury.

Having played minor football for the Royals, he returned to GAA and was a member of the Colmcille’s team that won Meath and Leinster intermediate titles in 2016.

With Ronan at full-forward, the Bettystown club went on to suffer a one-point defeat in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park against a Westport outfit starring Lee Keegan.

The 41-year-old previously worked as strength and conditioning coach for the Meath senior footballers during Andy McEntee’s tenure.

He takes the reins of a Colmcille’s side that reached the quarter-finals of this year’s Meath SFC.

The club said: “We wish Niall and all the squad the very best of luck for 2024 as we look to build on the club’s excellent progress.”

Elsewhere in multi-sport stories involving figures with GAA backgrounds, Matt Duffy’s bid to succeed in the AFL will be put on hold after the Longford youngster was dealt a cruel blow.

Having been recruited as an international rookie in August, Duffy was given permission to continue lining out for Dromard in the Longford SFC.

But Carlton expect the 19-year-old to be out of action for up to 12 months after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament.

Duffy sustained the knee injury during his club’s semi-final defeat to Clonguish last month.

Carlton general