Injury Time . . . with Jerome O'Connell

EARLIER in the year it was announced that as part of the GAA 125 celebrations the Munster Council were to select the hurling and football team of the province from the last 25 years.
It now appears that this process is to be conducted through the pages of the Irish Examiner newspaper.
This week, the nominees were released for the football team. The judging panel has shortlisted 45players, three for each position.
All bar three of the players are from Kerry and Cork.
Limerick and Croom midfielder John Galvin is sole local player short listed. He is joined by Clare’s Seamus Clancy and Tipperary’s Declan Browne.
Galvin faces competition from Ambrose O’Donovan, Darragh O’Se, Jack O’Shea, Shea Fahy and Teddy McCarthy for the two midfield berths.
Ahead of Sunday’s Munster final, its a great honour for Galvin to be one of just a dozen players still playing to be included in the shortlist.
With was probably most unlikely that Limerick would get two nominees in the one position, but John Quane must have been very close.
The closing date for entries is July 17.

Underage funding
THE county underage hurling teams are busy preparing for their annual inter-county competitions in late August.
However, they will have to take some time out to fund-raise for their playing gear.
In the coming weeks a sponsored walk will take place along the west Limerick railway track from Templeglantine to Barna.
It’s probably a sign of the current economic times, but all members of the county under-14, under-15 and under-16 hurling panels are to be issued with sponsorship cards and be asked to sell 20 lines at €1 each.
The profits earned will help alleviate the cost of providing the panels with togs, socks, t-shirts, wind-breakers and gearbags - gear which in many counties is supplied by the respective boards. This may not be the ideal scenario, but what is impressive is last weekend’s visit to Kilkenny by the under-16 hurlers.
The Shane Fitzgibbon and Mike Galligan managed side travelled to Nowlan Park, where they were put through their paces in a number of drills by members of the Kilkenny senior hurling backroom team.
They also witnessed one of the famous Kilkenny training sessions and received a talk from Brian Cody.

Munster hurling special
RTE will broadcast a Sunday Game special this Sunday night and will feature a Munster Hurling Special as part of the continuing 125 year celebrations.
The show is to highlight many of the great moments that have made the Munster Hurling Championship so special, as well as previewing this year’s final between old rivals Waterford and Tipperary.
The feature will pay tribute to some of the legends of the game such as Limerick’s own Mick Mackey, Christy Ring and Jimmy Doyle, and along with many special guests there will also be a live studio audience for the very first time on The Sunday Game.
Marty Morrissey will be at Hayes Hotel providing a live link during the show and the programme will also announce just who is the top Munster hurler over the past 25 years.

Tipperary raise the bar
THE new Limerick GAA website is just up and running, but it appears that Tipperary are to raise the bar with a new online venture.
As part of the 125 year anniversary celebrations, a new Tipperary GAA archive web site is being prepared for launch this summer which will include a list of all players who have played for Tipperary from the minor grade upwards.
All clubs in the county were sent an e-mail last week with a list of the inter-county players from their club, to review and revert with any updates or omitted players.