Michael Kearney has announced that he will step down as Ireland team manager following the November internationals.
Kearney, who took over from Paul McNaughton in January 2012, worked alongside Declan Kidney through the 2012 and 2013 RBS 6 Nations Championships, the three test summer tour of New Zealand and the Autumn fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina.
Kearney managed the Ireland team on the 2013 North America tour alongside interim coach Les Kiss before continuing in the role following the appointment of Joe Schmidt as Ireland Head Coach.
He played a significant role in supporting the recent on-field success of the national team which included a first Test Series win in the southern hemisphere (Argentina 2014), back-to-back RBS 6 Nations titles (2014, 2015), and a first ever test victory on South African soil (2016).
Looking back on his time with Ireland, Kearney said: "It has been a great privilege to work with the national team for the past five years. During that time I have made many friendships and enjoyed a lot of special moments. I've witnessed at first hand the incredible work ethic of players and management and the desire to reach world class standards in everything they do.
"The time was right for me to step down and allow the next team manager time to integrate into the group ahead of the next World Cup."
