John Meyler has left his post as Cork senior hurling manager after two-years in charge.
Under his stewardship, Cork were crowned Munster champions in 2018, but lost the resulting All Ireland semi-final to eventual All Ireland champions Limerick.
Cork endured a torrid Allianz Hurling League campaign this year. Despite an opening round win over Kilkenny at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the Rebels lost each of their remaining Division 1A games to Wexford, Clare, Waterford and Tipperary.
A 0-21 to 1-13 win over Waterford in a relegation playoff preserved their top tier status for 2020.
This year's Munster Championship opened with a 2-28 to 1-24 loss to Tipperary, but in the topsy-turvy manner that so typified their 2019, Meyler's Cork pitched up at the LIT Gaelic Grounds a week later and overturned Limerick by 7-points.
Another win over Waterford followed three-weeks later, but Cork's 2-23 to 2-18 loss to Clare in their final game of the Munster round-robin lumbered Meyler's charges with an All Ireland preliminary quarter-final.
Westmeath were put to the sword, but a 2-27 to 3-18 loss to Kilkenny in this year's All Ireland quarter-finals proved to be Meyler's final game in charge of Cork. Speaking after that loss, Meyler was remaining non-committal on his future, telling Off The Ball's Valerie Wheeler, "Cork hurling will be back", but brushed off suggestions he too would return.
"Cork hurling will be back!"
A defiant John Meyler reflects on today's events.
For more on today's results: https://t.co/AmGuT3F7ya pic.twitter.com/57R4F1J5vT— Off The Ball (@offtheball) July 14, 2019
Sunday Times journalist Denis Walsh told Off The Ball after that Kilkenny defeat, "I expect that there'll be a real clamour for change, which mightn't necessarily happen. Cork are not falling down with options in terms of alternatives.
Former Cork goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack has been spoken of as a potential successor, but Walsh remains sceptical, "Has the Cork County Board and the Cork establishment reached a point where they can say, 'lads, park the strikes and give the job to Donal Óg Cusack', I'm not sure they've reached that point.
"If it's a case that they haven't - in their own minds - crossed that threshold it's really damaging for Cork.
"He's the obvious candidate, and I think he would bring in good guys around him."
"It's no secret he was not the first choice" - Walsh believes in Donal Óg if Cork replace Meyler
"It is no secret that the players would have preferred somebody else two years ago."
Full Article 👉https://t.co/Erjlf71bqa pic.twitter.com/2TjeDykMDZ— Off The Ball (@offtheball) July 15, 2019
A statement from the Cork County Board on Meyler's departure reads:
The Cork GAA Executive has today confirmed that, following the completion of his two-year term, outgoing manager John Meyler is not seeking a further term as Cork Senior Hurling manager.
All in Cork GAA wish to thank John sincerely for his decades of service to GAA at all levels in the County.
In more recent times, this has included a two-year term with the Cork U15/U16 hurlers in 2015 & 2016 with the group that went on to win an All Ireland U17 title in 2017. John had by then been appointed Cork U21 manager, while also serving as a selector in Kieran Kingston's management team which secured Munster honours in the same year.
This was followed by a two-year term as Cork Senior manager which included the retention of the Munster title in 2018.
County Chairperson Tracey Kennedy said "John has been an outstanding servant to Cork GAA in a variety of roles over many years, and I would like to thank him both personally and on behalf of Cork for all that he has done and, I am sure, will continue to do. We wish John, his selectors and backroom team all the best in their future endeavours and thank all involved for an immeasurable voluntary contribution over their two-year term."
A process will now be put in place for the appointment of a new manager.
