Some might say that any man who would take on the job of Meath senior hurling team manager must love the GAA. It's not exactly one of the more attractive posts on the intercounty management scene, particularly given the recent well-documented problems that befell the small ball code in the county. But it's a position Johnny Murray officially stepped into in March of this year and it's one he is obviously happy to continue with as he was appointed by the Hurling Committee to try it for a second term and will again guide the fortunes of the Royal County hurlers as they attempt to gain some silverware in 2006. Murray is following a long line of Meath senior hurling managers over a relatively short period of time - John Davis, who was at the helm on three different occasions, Seamus Carney, Michael Duignan and then John Hunt who had men of the caliber of former Limerick great Eamonn Cregan, Pat Stephens and John Coughlan as his backroom team. That looked like a very strong line-up with the potential to guide Meath firmly in the right direction, but their resignation was very well documented during troubled times for the game in the county and there is no doubt that losing the services of somebody like Cregan, who had proved himself both as a player and a manager, represented a major slip-up. Unfortunately, player power was clearly a big problem at that time. So Murray found himself sitting in the hot seat last spring and, while Meath certainly didn't set the hurling world alight, at least there were signs that things might just be on the up for the Royal County. So who is Johnny Murray? Well, he spent the early years of his life in Kilkenny, but moved to Limerick at the age of 12. He later joined the army and enjoyed a very rewarding career with the Defence Forces, retiring less than three years ago when holding the rank of Colonel. He saw service in such places as the Golan Heights, Cyprus, the Suez Canal and Iraq, so he has certainly been around. Rugby was his sport when he was a young man living in Limerick where there is such a passion for the oval ball and he was more than a capable performer in that code, being selected for Munster at both schools and junior level. But hurling was important to him as well, which is hardly surprising considering that he grew up in Kilkenny, and he had stints lining out with Cavan and Monaghan while he was stationed in the border area. Murray, who lives in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, is highly regarded as a coach and trainer of teams and was trainer of the Laois and Offaly teams when Babs Keating was manager. He was with the Offaly men back in the summer of 1998 when certain controversial remarks made by Keating didn't exactly please the players and the former Tipperary great stepped down. Michael Bond took over at the helm and Murray remained on in the role of trainer. It was a good decision as Offaly went on to win the All-Ireland that year. Murray, who was trainer of the UCD team when they were edged out by Kilkenny kingpins James Stephens with a point that looked to have gone wide in last year's Leinster Club Championship final, wasn't exactly stepping into the unknown when he took on the post as Meath manager, as he previously worked under Michael Duignan. Murray's first competitive match in charge was a National League Div. 2 outing against Wicklow last spring when Meath won. They then edged out Kerry by a point, which represented a very good result, also beat Sligo, but lost to both Offaly and Westmeath. It was then onto the Christy Ring Cup and the signs were certainly looking encouraging when Meath opened the competition with an impressive nine-point victory over Westmeath at Pairc Tailteann as they gained revenge for the earlier league defeat. A draw followed when Meath made the trip to play Derry in Ballinascreen, but they suffered what was to prove a very damaging loss when Down made a successful visit to Navan where they won by eight points. Then came a massive win over Roscommon in Athleague when the Royal County came out on top by 3-26 to 1-12, but that success wasn't enough to book them a place in the last four of the competition. Regretably, Westmeath's surprise win over Down on that same July day meant they went through as they finished a point ahead of Meath in the division. Murray looked back on his first year as manager and described himself as "happy and unhappy" while also acknowledging that he "took the position in difficult circumstances" and "inherited a panel." After the National League campaign he was very hopeful as the Christy Ring Cup competition approached "I felt we could win the Christy Ring Cup," Murray said. "The players put a lot of effort into it and we beat Westmeath comfortably in our first game. We threw away a six-point lead against Derry in Ballinascreen and we ended up drawing that match. That lost point was costly for us. "We lost our full-back for the Down game and lost the game. We had to do something because we had no full-back to replace him. I made a decision and it didn't work." Meath made the trip to play Roscommon in the last round of group matches and ended up winning by the proverbial cricket score. But, agonisingly, it just wasn't sufficient to propel them to the business end of the Christy Ring Cup and a result elsewhere meant they were eliminated. "We knew we would beat Roscommon," Murray added as he reflected on that day of mixed emotions. "We won that game by 20 points. We were on a real high after that particular result, but then the word came through about Westmeath's result. They had beaten Down and went through. "The feet were taken from under us after that news. That was our best display of the season, but it wasn't enough. We were looking forward to the play-offs after that win in Roscommon. We had beaten Westmeath comfortably and they went on to win it." That day in Athleague and the bitter disappointment of failing to advance in the Christy Ring Cup is history know, but when the Meath players and all associated with the team later saw the final televised live on RTE, as Westmeath got the better of Down, they must have realised just how great it would have been to be there and a part of such a big occasion. But it's now a case of looking forward for one and all and moving on. "I feel the panel is strong enough for Div. 2 of the National League," Murray commented as he contemplated the challenges ahead for the manager and his players. "I have gone around to all the club games and most of the players we looked for have come in, though some are in college. "We will undertake a winter training programme, with a lot of gym work. I have booked the panel into the gym in Navan. We will also do an outdoor programme. I have planned the programme with our physio Roy Brennan. "I have spoken to Babs Keating (re-elected manager of the Tipperary hurling team in early October) about challenge games." "We need a settled team coming out of the National League campaign, that's important. We will go out to win the league and use the competition to get the players onto a higher level. We will, hopefully, progress from there. I want the lads to be playing hurling to the best of their ability." Clearly, a progressive National League Div. 2 campaign is very important to the development of this particular Meath hurling team and winning it outright would be a significant boost to their progression. And there's also the Christy Ring Cup and another opportunity to get into Croke Park - with the television cameras adding to the occasion. Tweet

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