Emma Duggan: Eamonn Murray was a unique manager

Meath star Emma Duggan has paid a glowing tribute to former manager Eamonn Murray and his recently departed backroom team.

Murray ended his tenure with the Royals just weeks after masterminding a second consecutive victory in the TG4 All-Ireland SFC decider.

Meath's win over Kerry came a year on from their defeat of Dublin in a maiden senior championship success, while they also accounted for Westmeath in the intermediate final in 2020.

On the field, Duggan and her team-mates face a future without Vikki Wall and Orlagh Lally after they opted to continue their careers with North Melbourne and Fremantle Dockers in the AFLW.

"I think we’re all trying to form our goodbye messages at this stage to all of the lads, but we’d all be in regular contact with Eamonn anyway, whether he’s our manager or not, so we won’t be complete strangers," Duggan said at an event to promote European Week of Sport.

"We’ll definitely send him a message or two and probably a bit more than that.

"We’re hoping to have our presentation night in December, so I suppose that’ll be a good night, and a bit of closure."

Eugene Eiver and Paul Garrigan, who were trusted lieutenants of Murray, have been recruited by Colm O’Rourke and the Meath men’s team.

Duggan believes Eiver and Garrigan could prove instrumental in future success for the Royals.

"The lads are very lucky to have Paul and Eugene on board," she said. "I can’t speak highly enough of both of them.

"Paul has changed our mindsets on football in general over the last six years or so. He’s brought me on so much as a footballer. There aren’t enough words to express my thanks to him.

"The big thing for us before Eugene came in three years ago was our S&C and physical shape. It was something we did struggle with