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Kieran Cunningham

GAA world in shock at sudden death of senior county football manager

The GAA world has been rocked by the sudden passing of Offaly football manager Liam Kearns yesterday.

Kearns, 60, took a training session with the squad in the morning but felt unwell later in the day.

In a statement, Offaly GAA said it was "devastated to learn of the sudden passing this evening of our senior football manager, Liam Kearns".

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"In his short period of time as manager of the senior footballers, Liam made a hugely positive impact and he was extremely well respected by everyone associated with Offaly GAA.

"Offaly GAA extend deepest sympathies to his wife Angela and daughters Rachel & Laura. May he rest in peace."

A native of Kerry, he starred at club level with Austin Stacks and won an All-Ireland minor title with the Kingdom.

Management always appealed to Kearns, and he cut his teeth at club level in Limerick.

Kearns got his first senior intercounty job there too, taking Limerick to a Division Two decider and a Munster final, and he took their Under-21s to an All-Ireland final.

He moved on to Laois, the home county of his mother, guiding them to a Leinster final in 2007, losing by six points to Dublin.

But the biggest impact Kearns made in intercounty football was in his next job with Tipperary.

On his watch, they took the scalps of counties of the stature of Cork, Derry and Galway.

And, in 2016, Kearns made the whole country sit up and take notice when his Tipperary team reached the All-Ireland semi-finals, where they lost to Mayo.

He was then at the helm of Roscommon club Clann na nGael before taking the reins at Offaly after last year's Championship.

Kearns' last game in charge of Offaly was just eight days ago, when his men beat Longford by a point.

Next weekend they are due to face Tipperary, the scene of his greatest days as a manager.

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