Lucey primed for early return to inter-county action

STEPHEN Lucey could be back in the Limerick colours by the end of the month.
Lucey was one of the high-profile hurlers deemed surplus to requirements by Justin McCarthy, but the Croom man remains central to the plans of Limerick football manager Mickey Ned O’Sullivan.
Lucey suffered a serious tear of his hamstring late last August when playing for his club in the county senior hurling championship against Granagh-Ballingarry.
At the time it was expected that Lucey would be sidelined for at least six months however he is now on course to return for the start of the National Football League.
“He had a serious tear of his hamstring, but we are expecting him back by the end of the month,” confirmed O’Sullivan.
“Stephen knows how to care of himself because of his medical background,” explained the football manager.
Limerick open their league campaign with a trip to Ruislip to face London on February 7 and six days later (February 13) Limerick will host Carlow under lights at the Gaelic Grounds.
Last season Lucey and his club-mate Mark O’Riordan played both inter-county hurling and football with Limerick however both were among the hurlers culled by Justin McCarthy for 2010.
In the aftermath of the wholesale hurling panel changes 12 players withdrew in protest and one of those, James Ryan, has now joined Lucey and O’Riordan in the football panel.
Ryan is named at centre-forward for this Thursday night’s (7.30) McGrath Cup game against Waterford IT in the Gaelic Grounds.
Barring the injured Lucey and Thomas Cahill Limerick will be pretty much at full strength against WIT.
Others not involved in the match-panel are Ger Collins, Cormac Joyce Power and Eoin Hogan - who are all committed to varying Third Level Colleges for the McGrath Cup.
Although only six of Thursday’s selected team started against Meath in the All-Ireland Qualifiers last August it is still a vastly experienced Limerick side. Ballysteen’s Conor Ranahan, Fr. Caseys’ Eoin Joy and St. Patricks’ John Mullane are all handed their first starts at senior level.
In other news this week’s specially convened AGM of Limerick GAA was postponed because of the weather conditions.
The meeting was to elect Limerick’s new Development Officer and to ratify John Tuohy as a new Limerick senior hurling selector.
Also sure to have been discussed is the continuing stand-off between members of the 2009 senior hurling panel and manager Justin McCarthy.

Jerome O’Connell