Offaly hurling will have a new senior manager at the helm next year after their county board confirmed Michael Fennelly will not be in charge in 2023.
Fennelly, one of the greats of the game, won eight All-Irelands, nine Leinster titles, five National Leagues, three All-Stars and the Hurler of the Year award in 2011 in a glittering playing career.
As Offaly manager, he guided the team to league and Christy Ring Cup success last year and narrowly failed to reach the Joe McDonagh Cup final this season.
The team were also without star player Oisin Kelly who had a cruciate ligament injury late last year.
Offaly have been out of the Leinster Championship since 2018 but their player pool is still redeveloping and Fennelly's men were unlucky this season not to clinch at least one more win in the McDonagh Cup campaign.
They also had to cope with the disruption that the pandemic brought with Offaly enduring four different lockdowns at various stages, including local shutdowns that also affected Laois and Kildare in 2020.
His side had success in Division 2A of the Allianz leagues last year and fared reasonably well against Wexford this season but struggled for parts of the campaign at that highest level against some of the best teams in the land.
They lost out on a place in the McDonagh Cup final this season on scoring difference only.
Senior players were informed by Fennelly this morning that he would not be at the helm going forward.
In a statement, Offaly GAA said: "We wish to sincerely thank Michael Fennelly for his dedication and commitment as manger of the Offaly team for the past three years
"Together will all the members of his management and backroom team, Michael always carried out his duties in a professional manner."
Chairman Michael Duignan added: "Michael Fennelly instilled into the Offaly set-up the highest standards which he displayed as one of Kilkenny's greatest ever hurlers
"Michael did his very best to improve the fortunes of Offaly hurling during a three-year period which had many interruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic."
He wished Fennelly and his family well for the future and confirmed the process of replacing him will begin this week.
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