Oisín McConville to Lead Wicklow Until 2027

Oisín McConville is staying put – and so is the Wicklow revolution.

The Tailteann Cup-winning manager will remain in charge of the county through 2027, with the Wicklow county board confirming that the Crossmaglen man will see out the agreed two-year term that kicks in after the 2025 season.

McConville has been at the helm since 2023, steadily reshaping a Division 4 outfit that stunned the country this year. Wicklow’s comeback victory over Down in the Tailteann Cup final – overturning a 13-point deficit early in the second half to win 1-21 to 2-16 – has already entered county folklore.

That dramatic win did more than deliver silverware. It guarantees Wicklow a shot at Sam Maguire football in 2027, a seismic step for a county more used to life on the lower rungs of the ladder.

There had been murmurs that McConville, given his rising stock and Armagh roots, might be tempted by a higher-profile job closer to home. The new deal shuts that talk down and gives Wicklow clarity and continuity at a moment when belief is finally matching ambition.

On the hurling front, there is stability too. John “Bosco” O’Neill will continue as manager of the Wicklow hurlers. The Glenealy clubman, in charge since 2024, has been reappointed to lead them again.

Wicklow football and hurling now move into the next phase with their key figures locked in. The question is no longer whether they can dream big. It’s how far they can push this surge before 2027 arrives.