Just another observation. Once this team goes Limerick will be back in the doldrums, (regardless of JPs money) where we have been for most of the past 85 years. We had another great side about 15 years before that and basically that is the extent of our success.
By contrast, Kilkenny will always be strong.
Hawkwing. I was responding to cobservations made about the Limerick. I would also that Limerick County Board also 'milk' recent successes well. The charge for the Banquet after was 150 Euro and 800 of us thought it was worth it. After all when will we see a 3 in a row again. Large pictures of the team and other memorabilia etc are also commanding big money. Other companies like Cavanaghs in Charleville have also rowed in behind them It is a classic case of everyone wanting to know a winner, whereas as when we were down nobody wantedu h to do with us. Remember too lads had a more advanced approach going way back to the days that Fr Tommy Murphy and your excellent Co Board put superior structures in place for the development of young hurlers.
Most other successful counties have been ahead of the frame at some time or other.
Your dead right it obviously won’t have a bearing on who the new manager is I was more thinking in terms of new sponsorship and a general shake up and freshening up of things in there! This is probably the best chance there is having that happen as if not we’re into another 5 year cycle of the same old same. The problem we have is that there is no one new on the outside looking to get involved say the the Michael Duignan did in Offaly. If it’s true that it’s Ned Quinn who is coming back it probably won’t change much as realistically he is still the man with all the power behind the scenes. Ned Quinn has done great things for Kilkenny GAA and deserves massive credit for all he has done but personally I think it’s a backwards step bringing him back when we need something new and different ideas been brought in
Yeah Jimmy Walsh has to step down as his 5 years is up. Conor Denniffe is off to headquarters by all accounts. All the 5 year terms are up so none of the current executive can continue in their current roles so there will hopefully be a shake up.
The rumour is that Ned Quinn is making a move to come back and reassume the roll of chairman. Usually the county board is just a big turn of moving chairs every 5 years.
Either way even if there was a new county board executive elected later in the year they won't be choosing our next manager.
If you believe what you hear the county board chairman is stepping down this year and the secretary is moving to be central council delegate so if people want change now is the time to act
I agree with the previous posters about Glanbia.first of all they have all Kilkenny jerseys right across the board secondly they actually questioned were they getting value for money,(that’s some joke). Glanbia’s contribution has changed little over the years. They got Hugh exposure when we were going well.As was mentioned earlier there are certainly a few local companies who would take on separate teams across the board but the county board are way too conservative in there outlook and don’t want to upset the status quo. An awful lot of things will have to change people complain about the county board,but it’s the clubs will have to make the changes and send in the best people to get the best return.
probably couldn't have got much more out of whats there and had problem with players dropping off the panel and committing
He got them out of the Christy Ring Cup in his 2nd year and was very unlucky not to qualify for the Mcdonagh Cup final only losing out on scoring difference in the end....Has raised them from being on a big low, got everyone pulling in the one direction with a very young crop.
What's the high?
Confirmed that Fennelly leaving Offaly now alright.....Thought he would get another year as he's after making good progress with a young group and Offaly were having big problems before he came in but infairness he's leaving on a high.
Himself and Eddie Brennan in contention for Waterford job if rumours are true.
It definitely wont be Eddie Brennan anyway based on that, doesn't want to be a David Moyles. Fennellys contract with Offaly is up, be surprised if he got it though
Great interview and insight form Eddie and Mick Fennelly
I've heard Gorta, McGarry and Phelan have thrown there hat in the ring and with our county boards aversion to spending money I think they would favour the lads over Derek. Derek has rightly tried to raise the standards at the U20 level and has been pushing hard but it wasn't until this year he got his players gym access which is absolutely bonkers. The gym they get to use is the new gym in Kierans which can only have about 12 players at a time not ideal for squad of 30+. Kierans own the gym but the county board have access to it after 4pm during the school year I assume anytime during summer if needed. While anything is a help the fact that the U20's and any grade below that can't get access to a gym easily shows how far off the reservation our county board are in their thinking of what a team today needs. From what I've heard Sean Kelly and others have spent a decade pushing for gym access or creation, for our younger players and this undersized gym was the most we could eke out of the County Board. Look at Dunmore as our "centre of excellence" the only thing it has going for it is flood lights.
The fact the county board have stuck with Glanbia who have got the best sponsorship deal in history, when other companies are falling over themselves to get a piece of the Kilkenny brand beggars belief. Every county would love a JP who has so much money he can just throw it at your setup and wait for the results. We don't and likely won't ever have that kind of input from an individual. I know for a fact that there are companies who have offered in the past multiples of what Glanbia give to Kilkenny in sponsorship. There's a reason Wexford and Waterford moved away from Glanbia sponsorship years ago and that is, it's not very good. Glanbia are a global company now with a global outlook and while their based in Kilkenny and their roots are here and the south east they really have moved beyond looking at the local on the ground issues as being of much import. I don't blame Glanbia this is a legacy issue for them, they have always done it and I'm sure there are still Kilkenny people on the board advocating for it to be retained. However they see no huge value in it for them hence why their not willing to offer anymore.
Personally I think the county board needs to change our sponsor and to get in more money from those deals and use that to resource our teams setup. We could hire a full time S&C and bring in some top hurling coaches for the senior team at the least. I don't really mind who gets the management job as they'll all bring passion and drive to it but for me it's the backroom team that will make all the difference and whether the county board will resource the new managers vision.
Finance isn't deciding all ireland's but certainly can't be disputed alot of top teams are well resourced, 2 small things come to remember after Dublin got ambushed by Donegal in 2014 they brought in a basketball coach from DCU and his remit was basically help break down blanket defences, with Limerick told from a good source if any of their players need to go to Santry with injuries its usually from a helicopter journey from Adare Manor, this stuff would be out of reach for other counties.
Hawkwing
Basically- Tipp refused to renew a Home/Away agreement, as they put the interests of their own team first. They were dead right.
I see where galway are having a fundraiser tomorrow at the races and Henry and Mark landers are guest speakers. I'd be shocked if Henry gave up galway to come back to kk.
Derek Lyng looks in pole position for the job but there will be pressure on straight away. We see in other sports it's doesn't always work out although Tyrone broke a trend with their management. There will definitely be people who would prefer to let the dust settle for a few years.Some of the lads in the frame also know they wouldn't get the kinda money which would be available in other counties so this could deter some.It might be no harm if Peter Barry and Rice stayed with the u20s if Derek did take it. I would hope to see someone like herity brought in as a goal keeping coach for a start. I Actually think we're a poorly coached team and its a testament to the lads that we pushed Limerick with all their quality coaching and resources and that would have to give us supporters optimis.Our puckouts are atrocious a lot of the time and I'd be suprised if we ever worked on puckouts. Hopefully the county board had an idea this was Brian's last year and they had some kind of plan in place but I'd be suprised if they had any sort of foward thinking.
Ideally we need an interview process and not just give it to this lad or that and hope for the best. Club starting this weekend so the county board need to get their finger out.There should be no Stone left unturned. I heard where Lyng had to push hard for a second s&c person to help John Murphy at u20. There's no doubt they don't like spending money but things like this shouldn't be questioned.
I'm looking foward to the club this weekend and I'll try get to a few. I know a few clubs will be down lads for a few rounds because they're in America. I heard mikey butler picked up a serious enough injury the other night. Hopefully it's not too serious. Someone here from olg might know more.
Any news on ticket arrangements. There was talk of no cash at the gates and no concessions. Hopefully the County Board had a rethink.
With senior/intermediate club games starting at the weekend, anyone know if there are any plans to stream matches this year? Thought it was a really good initiative during Covid with benefits post Covid also.
Great post
Lynn and Gorta for me.....they had a huge input this year and appear to be very well versed on the present tactics. They also know this group of players which is always a bonus.
Agree, the costs are massive now, you can see with the great Dublin football team and now Limerick it makes a difference, they want for nothing and it gives them the best chance of success. Other counties aren't so lucky, most counties including my own ( Galway) are struggling to keep up financially, our footballers were struggling for a sponsor only a few years ago until Supermacs stepped in ( think they even went a year without a sponsor) and we'd be considered one of the more attractive counties sponsorshipwise in both codes, so hard to see how other smaller counties are managing.
(Tipp lost by 2 pts in Ennis in 86 and not 1. Both Tipp/Clare games were in Killarney in 1987 and the drawn one was not in Thurles--i was at all of these. Limerick lost by 2 goals in Ennis in 1986 and not by 1pt.) this has nothing to do with KK GAA either.
Good post and i dont begrudge Limk the sponsorship. My issue is other counties chasing this at the expense of underage developement in their counties. I think probably outside Dublin and Cork other counties struggle for money to keep up with Limk and putting themselves at financial risk. I think it needs to be addressed before some county goes broke.
Kilkennyboy
I am 73 years old and I have supported Limerick all my life. I heartily agree with you we are well resourced now.
However, until about 15 years ago we had the most hopelessly funded county board in the country. We had to have Home/Away matches with Clare time and again to try to bolster the empty coffers. Even the poorest Clare teams, over the decades, have always proved hard to beat in Ennis. Gallingly after beating us there they often collapsed spectacularly in the next round. I might mention that Tipp went to Ennis back in '86 and lost by a point, as we also did there the same year. The following year Clare returned the compliment and went to Thurles and a draw with Tipp ensued. Clare asked them to play the replay in Ennis. As Cork and Limerick pitches were both unavailable, it should have been an easy decision. However, Tipperary correctly opted to play the game in Killarney, despite the huge inconvenience involved for their supporters and were not seen in Ennis, until '18, when the Round Robin Format forced them to go there. I might also add that Cork also did H/A with Waterford, back in the day. However after defeats in Walsh Park in '67 and '74, when they ended with 14 men each day, they stopped going there too. Kilkenny themselves had a H/A arrangement with Wexford, but one or other of the sides thought better and for decades Croke Park became the automatic venue for their meetings.
I think it is also significant that no real Home based organisation has sponsored the Limerick teams ,except Maddens Milk, a small dairy, when sponsorship came out first. At one stage we even had to get the Mid Western Health Board to sponsor our team. My point is we may be benefitting from JPs largesse now, but for years we certainly were underfunded in relation to Cork, Tipp Kerry or indeed most of the main counties.
Anyway, I honestly think that if all this sponsorship had been stopped Fifteen years ago this Limerick team would still be top of the pile now. As Mick Mackey said of his great side of the thirties and early forties, 'a great crop of talented players just all appeared at the one time'. This phenomenon was just repeated about 85 years later.
The spend on intercounty is scary at the moment. With limerick having the equivalent of a man city backer.
Small things make huge differences. Before the all Ireland a member of the limerick backroom team had a sack and he poured out 3 heaps of sliotars on the 45 maybe 50 balls in each heap.while up the other end rackard was throwing out individual balls to players.
Our captain from what I here also had a tough week. They were given €500 per player clothes voucher but had to source everything themselves travelling around the country looking for matching outfits. Just seems a needless distraction. Maybe the quick turn around between simi and final added to this.
FYI - Nowlan
😊
Think Hickey is overage. Not sure about Purcell.
Tallis Purcell and moylan overage as far as I know
Realistically if he is 63/64 he's probably too old to be a successful intercounty manager.
Cody was probably the oldest all ireland winning manager back in 2015 at around 60/61. Similar to Jack o connor in kerry This year
It's a younger man's game.
I think a statue would be appropriate but Cody is a humble man. Maybe not a full life size statue but something different.
Maybe two big bronze hands open and a silver glob of spit suspended over the open palms ready to be rubbed in. This could be put on a stone plinth outside Nolan Park and everyone will know who's being celebrated. Just an idea.
