“The delegates obviously have some questions to ask and they are obviously entitled to answers,” Liam Lenihan told Leader Sport on Wednesday morning.
“Justin (McCarthy) is the manager of the county senior hurling team and as manager he has to account for himself and his actions.”
Liam Lenihan is hopeful the meeting will help to clear the air and bring an end to the speculation that has surrounded Limerick hurling recently.
“How the meeting goes is totally up to the clubs,” the chairman said.
“As you know yourself any club delegate is entitled to get up and propose anything and then it’s down to the other delegates to vote on that.
“The whole idea of the meeting is to get this sorted out.
“The delegates have had time to consult with their clubs.
“Clubs have held their own meetings about this and we are hopeful that delegates will bring the views of their clubs to the meeting. This is the forum for them to do that and we’re hopeful that they will. It’s up to the delegates to make their feelings known and we hope that they will.
“We hope that the meeting is a positive one and that the delegates get a chance to express the views of the clubs and then, hopefully, we can work on from there. Now we have a chance to put an end to all the speculation and move forward from there.”
The meeting will take place in the Ballyagran Community Centre and is scheduled to begin at 7.30pm on Thursday night (December 3).
The meeting has been convened to discuss the crisis surrounding the Limerick senior hurling panel and for delegates to vote on the ‘GAA/GPA proposal’ - like every other county in the country Limerick must discuss the proposed alignment of the GPA and GAA and decide to agree or disagree with the proposal before a meeting of Central Council on Saturday, December 5 in Croke Park.
Players views
On Thursday night last (November 26) the County Board (represented by chairman Liam Lenihan, secretary Mike O’Riordan and treasurer Owen Hayes) met with members of the 2009 hurling panel to discuss the fall out from Justin McCarthy’s wholesale changes to the senior hurling squad - McCarthy dropped 12 players while a further eight walked out in protest.
Last week 2007 All-Star goalkeeper Brian Murray withdrew while the Patrickswell man was preceded by Brian Geary, Damien Reale, Seamus Hickey, Donal O’Grady, Wayne McNamara, James O’Brien and James Ryan.
This week County Board chairman Liam Lenihan described that meeting as “open and frank” and that the County Board executive will convey the views of the players to Thursday night’s meeting in Ballyagran.
“We had an open and frank meeting on Thursday night,” Liam Lenihan told Leader Sport on Monday.
“We got our views on the situation across and they got their views across. We will now convey those views to Thursday night’s meeting and move on from there.”
The County Board executive officers were forced to meet with the players when members of the 2009 panel refused to meet with Justin McCarthy and his management team.
Reports suggest that anything up to 23 players attended that meeting.
Meeting held in camera
The starting time, originally 6.30pm, and the venue for the meeting raised eyebrows across the county, but County Board officials have now moved the meeting back to 7.30pm to allow delegates sufficient time to reach the venue - the Limerick executive insist that they planned the meeting to co-incide with the launch of the Limerick GAA Yearbook which takes place in Mark Foley’s Bar later that evening in Ballyagran (9.30pm).
In an extraordinary departure the special County Board meeting will be held in camera - members of the press will not be permitted to attend.
Limerick GAA chairman Liam Lenihan confirmed to Leader Sport last week that an executive meeting of County Board officers had taken the decision to exclude members of the media from the meeting in Ballyagran.
Earlier last week former Limerick GAA chairman Denis Holmes led the calls for the scheduling of a County Board meeting to discuss the latest saga to engulf Limerick hurling.
At the annual convention of the East Board in Ahane chairman Denis Holmes said that the clubs of the county needed to be heard.
Mickey Ned O’Sullivan
Although not originally on the agenda for the meeting Limerick GAA officials will also take the opportunity of the County Board meeting to finally confirm Mickey Ned O’Sullivan as Limerick’s senior football manager for a fifth year.
At a meeting of Limerick’s Football Board on October 26 the reappointment of Mickey Ned O’Sullivan as county football manager moved a step closer when the Kerryman was given the backing of the football delegates.
However the appointment for a further one-year term still needs to be rubber-stamped at a full County Board meeting.
Returning alongside the Kenmare man will be coach Donie Buckley and selectors Joe Redington and Paddy Ivess. Joining the senior backroom team for 2010 is Maurice Horan.
The former Mayo and Limerick senior footballer is to become a senior selector and manager of the county under-21 side. Horan transferred to Monaleen in 2004 from his native Ballinrobe. As manager of the county under-21 side Maurice Horan will be joined by selectors Niall Crowley (Adare) and John Ryan (Oola).
Annual Convention
The Limerick GAA Annual Convention will also take place in Caherconlish on Monday, December 7 next.
As previously confirmed by Leader Sport full-time secretary Mike O’Riordan has been deemed ineligible to stand for election as one of the county’s two delegates to Munster Council. A ruling from Croke Park means that there will now be no election for the position of Munster Council delegate. Mike O’Riordan was initially one of five nominated to fill the two delegate positions. However, as a full-time paid official of Limerick GAA, it was unknown if he was eligible to stand for the position. A Croke Park ruling has now forced the Kilmallock man to withdraw from the election. Donal Fitzgibbon and Eddie Wade have also confirmed that they are not to stand for election meaning that Oliver Mann (Patrickswell) and Denis Holmes (Oola) will be Limerick’s new representatives on the provincial council.
There will, however, still be an election for PRO as both Ger O’Connell (Pallasgreen) and Helen Cross (Ahane) remain in the race for the job.
One position that won’t be filled at the Annual Convention is that of Development Officer.
Earlier this month it was confirmed by Croke Park that Tim Ryan could not fill the vacant position. Eibhear O’Dea steps down from the role next month, but as Tim Ryan has already served in the position for five years, he has been deemed ineligible by Croke Park. As Ryan was the only nominee for the role, nominations will have to be re-opened and a Development Officer will be appointed in January. County Board chairman Liam Lenihan has confirmed that the closing date for nominations for the role of Development Officer is December 14. On December 15 the names of those nominated for the position will be circulated to the clubs. On January 12 a ‘Special Convention’ will be held at which delegates will be asked to vote for their preferred candidate.
Brian McDonnell
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