The Kerry County Board are due to meet outgoing Kerry U21 manager Darragh O Sé in the next week.  The former All Star’s two-year term as Kerry U21 manager finished with Kerry’s defeat to Cork in the Munster Championship last month.

This was the second season in a row that Kerry exited the first round of the Munster Championship to their neighbours. At the time of writing it is not known whether O Sé is seeking a further term as Kerry U21 football manager but sources close to the Kerry County Board have confirmed that there is considerable interest in the position, including from prominent former Kerry players.

The County Board are also on the verge of appointing a successor to Sean Moynihan for the post of Kerry Junior Football manager.

Speaking to Kerry’s Eye earlier this week, Kerry County Board chairman Patrick O’Sullivan confirmed that he hoped to have both appointments sorted out by the end of the month.

“Discussions are ongoing at present regarding both appointments. We will speak to Darragh O Sé shortly and we are also looking to fill the Kerry Junior manager’s position.

“We see this year’s Kerry Junior panel as being an ideal stepping stone for our younger players and hopefully they will have an extended run in the championship.

“We should be in a position to propose both the U21 and Junior managerial candidates by our next County Board meeting.”

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Gigginstown number one jockey and Tralee’s own Bryan Cooper looks set to defy the medics and make a return to the saddle much sooner than expected, and now may well make an appearance at Listowel Races this September.

Cooper suffered a compound fracture in his right leg when his mount Clarcam fell in the Fred Winter Hurdle on the Wednesday of the Cheltenham Festival.

Cooper was whisked to Bristol Hospital.

The 21-year-old from Farmers Bridge has undergone two surgeries since, one that involved a painful skin graft and it was expected he would return in early 2015.

However, recent X-rays have given the jockey renewed hope for an earlier return.

Cooper admits that his medics were surprised at how well his leg is healing.

“I won’t know for another week or so whether it is healing or not, but I got an X-ray done last Friday week and they said they could not believe the progress made from the day it happened to now. “You can barely tell where the break is, which is very positive. So if it starts knitting, you are looking at four to six months, which you’d settle for.”

Now the top jockey is hopeful of an earlier than planned return.

“It’s hard to know, but if it starts healing and everything goes to plan, then maybe my target might be Listowel Harvest Festival in September.”

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