Twelve months ago Limerick were shocked by UL in round one of the McGrath Cup and were subsequently slow to find form in the National Football League and ended up being relegated to Division Four.
This time round Mickey Ned O’Sullivan’s side are adamant that they have learned from last season.
On Sunday (2pm) in Fitzgerald Park, Kilmallock Limerick face the students of Waterford IT in round one of the McGrath Cup competition.
“Last year we were knocked out in the first round and then we were caught cold in the league against Louth,” recalled Mickey Ned O’Sullivan.
If Limerick are victorious they will be back in action on Sunday week with Cork IT awaiting in the quarter-finals. Were Limerick to advance in the competition their McGrath Cup semi-final opponents could be Clare or UCC.
Sunday marks the first competitive fixture for O’Sullivan as he embarks on his fifth season at the helm on Shannonside - making him the second longest serving inter-county manager behind Tyrone’s Mickey Harte.
In a five-man management team the Kenmare man is joined by selectors Donie Buckley, Maurice Horan, Joe Redington and Paddy Ivess.
The management team held a series of trial games during December to unearth fresh talent.
“No one that was involved in the senior panel already took part in the trial games - it was for new players. The trials were very good and of a high quality. We will be taking a further look at some of them and they will be invited into training for training,” explained Mickey Ned O’Sullivan.
The current extended panel are to train two nights a week for January and a number of challenge games are planned to supplement what is hoped will be a prolonged run in the McGrath Cup.
“We will give everyone a chance and then they will all be in the mix when we select a final panel before the league,” explained the manager.
He added: “This is the first time since I got involved that we have serious competition in terms of selecting our panel.”
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.
“We want to get promoted,” said Mickey Ned O’Sullivan of this year’s targets.
“To do that we will have to take it one game at a time, but we want to get promoted.
“There are five or six teams in the league that will think that they have a strong possibility of getting promoted.”
Although only six of Sunday’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 (brother of Pa), Fr. Casey’s Eoin Joy and St. Patricks’ John Mullane are all handed their first starts at senior level. With the long-serving goalkeeper Sean Kiely retired, Ranahan has been named in goals, with Mungret’s Barry Moran among the subs.
Mickey Ned said that finding a replacement for Kiely was a top priority: “Sean was an unbelievable servant to Limerick. To think that he was togged out for the Munster final in 1991. I know he wasn’t involved all the time, but that is great longevity. He never missed a training session - you could put him up as a role model for any inter-county footballer.”
The unfortunate Thomas Cahill will be absent when Limerick kick-off the new season, but otherwise most enter the New Year injury-free.
At present Stephen Lucey is the one panellist on the treatment table.
“He had a serious tear of his hamstring, but we are expecting him back by the end of the month - Stephen knows how to care for himself because of his medical background,” added Mickey Ned.
Others not involved in Sunday’s panel are Ger Collins, Cormac Joyce-Power and Eoin Hogan - who are all committed to varying Third Level Colleges for the McGrath Cup.
Waterford IT will have three Limerick club players involved on their panel for this Sunday’s game in Kilmallock - Jimmy Barry-Murphy & Shane Fox of Ballylanders and Richie McCarthy of Blackrock.
LIMERICK V WATERFORD IT
Conor Ranahan (Ballysteen); Johnny McCarthy (St Kieran’s), Conor Mullane (St Senan’s), Andrew Lane (St Senan’s); Lorcan O’Dwyer (Pallasgreen), Shane Gallagher (Ballysteen), Diarmuid Carroll (Arles Kilcruise, Laois); John Galvin (Croom), Eoin Joy (Fr Casey’s); Stephen Kelly (Newcastle West), James Ryan (Galbally), Seanie Buckley, capt (Drom-Broadford); John Mullane (St. Patrick’s), Ian Ryan (St. Senan’s), Kieran O’Callaghan (Ballylanders). Subs: Brendan Moran (Mungret), Padraig Browne (Fr Casey’s), Stephen Lavin (Adare), Pa Ranahan (Ballysteen), Mark O’Riordan (Croom), Jim O’Donovan (St Kieran’s), Bobby O’Brien (Bruff), Wayne Enright (St Senan’s) and Seamus Mulcahy (Pallasgreen).
Jerome O’Connell
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