Management, staff and supporters of St Joseph’s Foundation in Charleville are deeply saddened to learn that CEO Conor Counihan is to leave the organisation after 16 years in the job.
Mr Counihan, who joined St Joseph’s at the age of 41, told the Vale Star that he was very sad to be leaving but he was very proud to have been involved in such a wonderful organisation which has a great Board of Management and enjoys brilliant support from the local community. “Since I joined in 2001, St Joseph’s has gone through a great period of development, growing into a €20 million organisation with 350 staff, and this is thanks to the wonderful support of so many individuals and groups,” he said. “It is important to note, too, that the local community continued to support St Joseph’s at a time when donations were falling [due to the economic crash], and the public deserves great credit for this.” Mr Counihan said that he would remain in the post until a replacement will be found.”
Born in Aghada, Conor Counihan is widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest Gaelic footballers, winning two All-Ireland medals, four Munster medals and three National Football League medals as well as being an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions. During his career he made 26 championship appearances for Cork, his retirement coming after Cork’s defeat by Derry in the 1993 All-Ireland Final. After retirement, Counihan was a selector and as a backs’ coach on the Cork senior football team under both Billy Morgan and Larry Tompkins, as well as managing Aghada senior team. He later became manager of the Cork senior team for six seasons, and guided them to the All-Ireland title in 2010.