Following protracted public debate Tommy Carr was finally ousted from his role as Dublin senior football manager at a meeting of the County Board at Parnell Park this evening. In typically dramatic circumstances, the deciding vote was cast by county chairman John Bailey after a split vote amongst the 93 delegates failed to resolve the issue. It was Bailey, one of the main voices for a decision of no confidence in Carr, who ultimately sealed the former All-Ireland winner's fate, standing by his original convictions and ending Carr's four-year reign.
It had been agreed to hold a secret ballot to decide the fate of Carr and his selectors Richie Crean, John O'Leary and Dom Twomey following last Wednesday's divided 4-3 vote against Carr seeing out the remaining year of his current two-year contract. But in a dramatic split vote among the 92 delegates, one delegate abstained, it was 46 for the management committee's decision not to recommend Carr for another year and 46 against.
The meeting was then adjourned for ten minutes for the management, and significantly Bailey, to consider the implications of the vote, but it was clear they would not reverse their original decision. Bailey returned to the County Board meeting and firmly announced that Carr and his selectors had been removed, but thanked them for all the good work they had done for Dublin football.
Filed by Shane Murray
