Mayo managerial position: John O'Mahony is resisting speculative pressure to make himself available for the vacant Mayo football manager's position in the aftermath of Mickey Moran's resignation, announced yesterday.

O'Mahony turned down the position last year and has ruled out being able to take it on for next season, as he is a candidate in next year's general election.

Contacted yesterday, the former Galway All-Ireland-winning manager, who has more recently taken Connacht to Sunday's interprovincial final in Boston, said he didn't wish to comment further on the matter, saying: "In the immediate term I am concentrating on football and preparations for the weekend's Railway Cup."

O'Mahony previously held the position in Mayo and in 1989 led the county to its first All-Ireland final in 38 years, but he resigned from the position in 1991 after a disagreement with the county board over his wish to appoint his own selectors.

He went on to great success with Leitrim and Galway in the 1990s, winning a first Connacht in 67 years with the former and leading the latter in 1998 to a first All-Ireland since 1966.

The problem for O'Mahony now is that he was selected to contest the Mayo constituency for Fine Gael whenever the general election is called in the next six months. Already he has decided to clear the decks to campaign for what would be a very hard-won third seat for the party, along with Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, whose profile is sky high, and the equally impregnable-looking Michael Ring.

In recent opinion polls O'Mahony has been struggling, which emphasises the amount of work he has to do before the election. Were he to take the Mayo job, it would be virtually impossible to take care of constituency work - despite much conjecture that the rise in personal visibility would benefit his candidacy.

As expected, Mickey Moran announced his resignation from the position earlier yesterday. The official statement was released by the county board and ended weeks of speculation after the team's heavy defeat in last month's All-Ireland final.

According to the release, both parties thanked each other and Moran wished his successor good luck and every success and said no one would be happier than him to see Mayo lift Sam Maguire. It was also announced that neither side would be commenting further on the matter.

At a meeting on Tuesday night, Moran met county chair James Waldron and conveyed his decision. Moran's assistant, John Morrison, had stepped down last week and the remaining selector, Kieran Gallagher, also resigned.

It has been a messy episode for Mayo after a year in which the county team achieved notable successes, reaching the National Football League play-offs, regaining the Connacht title from Galway, beating Dublin in the championship for the first time and reaching the All-Ireland final.

The 13-point defeat by Kerry, however, dented that sense of achievement and at last week's county board meeting there was criticism of the team's preparation for the final - as well as several voices raised in support and recognition of the management's success over the whole season.

Moran, who had remained silent in the weeks since the All-Ireland, had been expected to walk away after a season that despite what had been achieved also featured a sometimes-fractious relationship with officials in the county.

Mayo now have the task of finding a new manager, making the county the third of this year's four senior All-Ireland finalists, after the Cork hurlers and Kerry footballers, to be going through that process.

Former selector and player Liam McHale has already declared his interest in being considered for the job should it become vacant and there has also been speculation that the management team of former captain Noel Connelly and former manager and player Pat Holmes, who brought the county to All-Ireland under-21 success earlier this year, would be in line to move up to senior.

But both are believed to have indicated privately they would not wish to take on the position at present and only recently agreed to stay in charge of the under-21s for another year.

Martin McHugh, the Donegal All-Ireland winner who managed Cavan to the 1997 Ulster title, is another who has been linked with the position.