[caption id="attachment_68051" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Brian Cody will try to win yet another title with Kilkenny in 2012."]
As expected Brian Cody is to continue as manager of the Kilkenny senior hurlers for a record 14th season. The James Stephens clubman has guided The Cats to 10 All-Ireland titles and five National League wins and he will be keen to retain the MacCarthy Cup in 2012. Cody will be joined once again by selectors Michael Dempsey and Martin Fogarty to form the same management team which has been in place in Kilkenny for the last six years. The Cats will be captained next year by Cody's James Stephens' club colleague Eoin Larkin.
Meanwhile, on Monday Kilkenny hurler James "Cha" Fitzpatrick made the shock announcement that he was quitting the Cats panel. The 26-year old said: ''This year was a fantastic one for Kilkenny, but personally I wasn't rewarded for my efforts. It has been a wonderful eight years to be involved with Kilkenny and I achieved every hurling goal. But ultimately Brian Cody made the right decisions as Kilkenny won the All-Ireland. I will continue to enjoy my club hurling with Ballyhale Shamrocks.'' Fitzpatrick captained the Cats in their 2008 All-Ireland win over Waterford and retires as the holder of five All-Ireland senior medals.
Canavan for Fermanagh
Former Tyrone great Peter Canavan will take over as the Fermanagh manager. He was the only person interviewed after the other candidates withdrew.
This will be Canavan's first experience of inter-country management after three years in charge of his home club Errigal Ciaran.
Elsewhere, Des Newton has been ratified as the new Roscommon manager. He joins a list of new football managers which include Galway's Alan Mulholland, Offaly's Gerry Cooney and Wicklow's Harry Murphy.
On the hurling front, there are no fewer than nine new managers. They are John Allen (Limerick), Davy Fitzgerald (Clare), Michael Ryan (Waterford), Jimmy Barry Murphy (Cork), Liam Dunne (Wexford), Ollie Baker (Offaly), Anthony Cunningham (Galway), Teddy McCarthy (Laois) and Jerry Wallis (Antrim).
Additional reporting by Kieran Rooney.
