It is understood that the influential defender and former Limerick captain is said to be unhappy with recent developments which saw 12 players dropped from the inter-county senior hurling panel.
And, Limerick GAA chairman Liam Lenihan has issued an apology to the omitted hurlers over the apparent lack of communication.
When the Limerick hurling management reassembled the 2009 panel on Wednesday night last for a team meeting in the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel it became apparent that up to 12 players were missing. The same players were also absent when a trial game took place on Friday night in the grounds of Staker Wallace.
Those present at the meeting had received a text message to attend, but others got no communication from management and assumed they had been dropped.
On Friday morning, their suspicions were confirmed when Justin McCarthy was quoted in The Irish Examiner newspaper.
“I am sure that many teams will be making changes and we are no different in Limerick. The time has come to bring in some new blood and give them a go at inter-county level. The mind-set to survive at this level has to be right and we have to change that,” explained Justin McCarthy.
Among the inter-county regulars dropped are Stephen Lucey, Mark O’Riordan, Niall Moran, Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Donie Ryan and Mike O’Brien. The remaining six players have yet to be confirmed despite repeated attempts by Leader Sport to do so.
“To be successful in any walk of life one has to be very disciplined and of course there are always side attractions. They will always be people who will put you on the wrong track, always guys that will try and break the system and try things on.
“We weren’t fooled by people who may have stepped out of line in the past year. It didn’t have a huge effect, but going forward I will not tolerate that - we have to have a better code of discipline, players have to be honest to themselves, their fellow players and the management and not be foolish enough to alter their commitment because to succeed you can’t take risks or stupid chances and hope that it will work out because it really doesn’t,” said the manager.
Recently retired Ollie Moran has jumped to the defence of his former colleagues.
“I’m seething and shocked at the insinuation in there that those guys lacked commitment. Anybody who knows Limerick hurling knows this at least, ask any previous trainer or manager - all the guys named are totally committed, both to their club and county. Stephen Lucey, a doctor, look at the sacrifices he made last year to play both hurling and football and all the time he was doing extra courses at the weekend in medicine. Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Donie Ryan, Mike O’Brien, non-drinkers the three of them, dedicated to hurling all their lives. Mark O’Riordan and Niall (Ollie’s younger brother) - those guys hardly take a drink, they live for hurling,” said Moran.
“To infer now that they were lacking in commitment to Limerick, that they were somehow dishonest, distracted, broke a code of discipline really rankles. The way they found out is annoying as well. Fellas who have given years of service to Limerick didn’t even get the courtesy of a phone call.
“If they were told ‘You’re being dropped, this is why, this is what you need to do to get back’... but they got nothing. Instead text messages were sent to the guys who were being kept on, that’s how it was done. It was shameful. Then again, I’m not surprised, communication wasn’t a strong point with this management,” said Moran.
Limerick GAA chairman Liam Lenihan has apologised to those who have been omitted.
“On behave of the County Board I apologise if the players were offended in any way,” Liam Lenihan told Leader Sport.
“If we caused any hurt to any player, I would say sorry.”
The chairman said that the hurling management did not communicate with the omitted players as a series of trials is to take place for fringe players and those omitted could yet be included in the final panel if no new talent is unearthed.
“I know the effort all players make for the county team and I apologise for any hurt caused to them,” said the County Board chairman.
JEROME O’CONNELL
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