Hurling manager not featured on Board agenda

LIMERICK’S new senior hurling manager will not be appointed at next Tuesday’s September County Board meeting - the agenda for the monthly meeting does not include any reference to the senior hurling management position.
The Independent Appointments Committee continued their search in the past week when interviewing a number of candidates. While Paudie Fitzmaurice, Jim Woulfe and Damien Quigley are remaining tight-lipped it is understood that former inter-county players Gary Kirby, TJ Ryan, Ciaran Carey and Pat Heffernan were among those interviewed.
Aside from that quartet rumours persist linking Cork’s Donal O’Grady to the position, but the committee could yet opt to appoint a Limerick man to succeed Justin McCarthy.
The search for the new hurling manager now extends beyond two months.
And, it now looks most likely that the new management team won’t be in a position to watch any of the knock-out games in the senior or intermediate hurling championships.
Nine nominees were originally identified by Limerick clubs. Both John Allen and John Tuohy withdrew from the selection process leaving Dave Keane, Gary Kirby, Ciaran Carey, Leo O’Connor, TJ Ryan, Val Murnane and Justin McCarthy from the shortlist nominated by the clubs.
It now appears that some of this list have been eliminated from the process as the three-man committee reduce their options.
However it was within their remit to source a manager from outside of those nominated by the clubs and none of the names of these candidates have been made public.
The Independent Appointments Committee are looking to make a nomination for the position of Limerick senior hurling manager and their choice will then need to be ratified by a full County Board meeting which may yet require a special meeting to be called later this month.
It is understood that the new manager is to be offered a two or three-year term with an annual review.
The manager would appoint his coach, trainer and selectors in consultation with the Independent Appointments Committee.

Football manager
This week the quest to find a successor to Mickey Ned O’Sullivan, as Limerick senior football manager, is getting underway.
Six nominations have been submitted by the clubs of the county, however Football Committee officials also have the remit to source a manager from outside the shortlist.
John Galvin, Sean McAuliffe and Michael Sheehan have been handed the task of finding the new manager, who will have to be ratified by both the Football Committee and the County Board. It is understood that the trio were to meet with some of the nominees this week.
It appears that Liam Kearns is interested in a return as Limerick senior football manager. The man who guided the fortunes of the Limerick senior footballers from 1999 to 2005 is one of six nominations to succeed Mickey Ned O’Sullivan, who replaced Kearns in the autumn of 2005.
Since he departed Limerick Kearns spent two seasons in charge of Laois and at present has been linked to the vacant Galway position after the departure of Joe Kernan.
Despite not having been nominated by a Galway club for the vacant football manager’s job Kearns may still be added to the ticket if officers feel he could be a viable option.
Also in the running to replace Mickey Ned is former Clare senior football manager John Kennedy and former Tipperary senior football manager Tom McGlinchey.
Kerry native Kennedy was also nominated for the Limerick position back in 2005 when Mickey Ned O’Sullivan replaced Kearns. Cork native McGlinchey was also previously linked to the Limerick role when he was suggested as a replacement for O’Sullivan after the end of the Kerry man’s fourth season in charge.
The man who led Tipperary to a 2002 Munster final appearance was coach to the Ballylanders side that won the 2007 County SFC title.
McGlinchey coached Ballylanders for three seasons, but departed last winter. This year he was physical coach to the Smith O’Briens senior hurling team in Killaloe where former Irish rugby captain Keith Wood was also part of the management team.
The three remaining nominees are John Cummins, John Brudair and Maurice Horan.
Galbally native Cummins is a former Limerick footballer and in recent seasons has served as a selector with John Evans in the Tipperary senior football management.
Maurice Horan has also played with Limerick. He also played for his native Mayo and this season was Limerick under-21 manager and a selector with the senior team.
The sixth candidate is John Brudair. He has managed Dromcollogher-Broadford to back-to-back Limerick SFC titles.
At present Limerick are also seeking to find inter-county under-21/junior and minor management teams and perhaps some of those nominated for the senior role could be potential candidates for these roles.

John Galvin
THE International Rules dream could be over for Limerick’s John Galvin.
The inspirational Limerick football midfielder suffered an injury last weekend at a training session with Anthony Tohill’s Irish International Rules panel.
The Croom man appeared to land heavily during the Parnell Park session on Friday night and had to be helped from the field. The long-serving Limerick footballer was on crutches over the weekend.
Galvin went for an MRI scan this Monday and is expecting the results in the coming days. It is thought that Galvin suffered damage to his groin/pelvic area.
Both Galvin and his Limerick inter-county colleague Johnny McCarthy were included in the extended Irish panel for the forthcoming series against Australia. The first test will take place in Limerick on October 23.

Jerome O’Connell