Kilkenny camogie legend Ann Downey has been appointed manager of St Patrick's of Ballyragget's intermediate hurlers.

Downey won 12 All-Ireland senior camogie medals with Kilkenny, alongside twin sister Angela, and managed the Cats to the O'Duffy Cup in 2016.

She stepped down as Kilkenny manager last year after reaching four successive All-Ireland finals, losing to Cork twice in 2017-18 and Galway last September.

She has previously managed Ballyragget male sides at minor and Under-21 level and trained Callan.

St Patrick's will compete in the intermediate Kilkenny championship in 2020 having been relegated last season.

"I'm looking forward to it, because there are some great young lads that can hurl here," she told the Irish Independent.

"You would hope to go back up, to be quite honest, that would be the aim."

Kilkenny forward Kevin Kelly, who scored 1-02 in the 2016 All-Ireland final against Tipperary, is the club's most high-profile player.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport last year, Downey stressed the importance of women getting involved in coaching, which, even in camogie, is often a male-dominated sphere.

"Men are there the whole time and that's a real fear factor," she said. "If you saw a woman wanting to be a mechanic, the first thing they’d say is 'sure what does she know?’

"If women get involved at underage, that’s where they get the confidence that they’re as good as any of the men. It’s just hard to break through and make that step.

"I’d love to see them starting at U8’s and U10’s because that’s where they get the confidence. That’s what I did and I learned so much from the men coaches too."