Former Limerick manager Padjoe Whelahan has been tipped to replace Humphrey Kelleher as Dublin hurling boss.

CONSIDERING they've had four times as many managers as championship wins this past three seasons, it's hardly surprising that Limerick are approaching Sunday's Munster SHC meeting with Tipperary in a fragile state of mind.

MARK Foley has a clear vision of where the Limerick hurlers should be later in the summer — not so much a case of where he would wish them to be, but what can be realistically expected from a team which has fallen steadily from the high of a Munster final appearance four years ago.

LESS than a month ago, three of hurling’s traditional strongholds seemed to be in crisis.

Limerick footballers Conor Fitzgerald and Stephen Lucey have returned to the county's hurling panel.

LIMERICK hurler Mark Foley has hit out at suggestions that he had deliberately absented himself from the team in the build-up to Padjoe Whelahan's departure as manager last week.

Former selector Joe McKenna has been appointed Limerick senior hurling manager.

THE Limerick County Board last night appointed an interim manager following the departure of Padjoe Whelahan.

Ger Cunningham has ruled himself out of the running for the position of Limerick hurling manager, made vacant by the departure of Padjoe Whelahan last week.

LIMERICK hurling selector Joe McKenna is a candidate for the managerial position vacated by manager Padjoe Whelahan.

Limerick hurling manager Padjoe Whelahan blamed pressure for his decision to resign yesterday, while Pat Herbert has been tipped as the man to succeed the Offaly native.

BEHIND the scenes pressure, resulting from two heavy League defeats to Cork and Tipperary, hastened the departure of Padjoe Whelahan as Limerick hurling manager yesterday.

Limerick hurling manager Padjoe Whelahan has stepped down.

Former Limerick manager Tom Ryan has launched a blistering attack on the county board, laying the blame for the current hurling crisis on Shannonside firmly at their door.

Limerick's hurling management, and the dual player issue, are expected to come under discussion at tonight's meeting of the county board.

THE chairman of Limerick County Board Denis Holmes said last night that there was no immediate threat to Padjoe Whelahan’s role as manager of the county senior side.

The Limerick County Board will discuss the county hurling side's dismal start to the National League at its meeting tomorrow night.

All-Ireland champions Cork take to the road today and face Wexford, the opposition they overcame in last year's semi-final, in their Division 1B second round clash at Wexford Park.

Last year's Limerick captain, TJ Ryan, has been dropped from Padjoe Whelahan's side to face Tipperary in Sunday's National Hurling League clash at the Gaelic Grounds.

The Limerick senior hurling squad leave for a short break in Barcelona today.

NFL and All-Ireland champions Kerry must make their competitive debut of 2005 tomorrow without the services of skipper Declan O’Sullivan.

Former Clare substitute goalkeeper Ger O’Connell looks set to change his county allegiance after requesting a transfer.

Former Limerick dual player Brian Begley is set to return to training in January following an 18-month lay-off through injury.

Na Piarsaigh 2-13Doon 1-14

Limerick's senior hurlers returned to training last night in their bid for Munster and All-Ireland honours in 2005.

Former U21 All-Ireland winners Eoin Foley, Mark Keane and Timmy Houlihan have been welcomed back into the Limerick hurling fold by manager Padjoe Whelahan.

ALL-IRELAND SHC champions Cork are relishing their pairing with Munster kingpins Waterford in their first outing of next year's provincial championship.

LIMERICK senior football coach Liam Kearns is remaining tight-lipped about his future plans.

WITH JP McManus’ gift of €5m easing the financial pressures, the Limerick County Board are now asked to tackle what is claimed to be an alarming decline in the standard of hurling within the county.

Cork 1-18 Limerick 2-12

LIMERICK manager Padjoe Whelahan said he was very disappointed following the narrow defeat: “Despite falling seven points behind we were always in the game. Losing by just a puck of a ball is hard to take.”

THERE are all sorts of guys who have long playing careers. There are the heroes, men like Christy Ring, Mick Mackey, Eddie Keher, the immortal few who graced hurling’s biggest stage, becoming legends.

CORK SELECTOR Patsy Morrissey understands the rivalry between his native county, and tomorrow’s Munster SHC opponents Limerick better than most. He likes to think of it as border patrol.

LAST year’s Cork captain Alan Browne, now happily concentrating on club activity, has words of advice for his former team-mates ahead of Sunday’s Guinness Munster SHC semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds.

Though the Allianz Hurling League title race is still wide open, Diarmuid O’Flynn wonders how serious are the top counties about winning it?

LIMERICK will be without team captain Tommy Stack for their make-or-break Allianz National Football League clash with Armagh at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday.

OFFALY hurling manager Mike McNamara admitted that his side need to start challenging for titles again.

FORMER ALL-Ireland SHC winning manager Liam Griffin has slammed the decision of past GAA presidents not to amend Rule 42 before Congress.

WATERFORD Allstar Ken McGrath is likely to miss the remainder of their NHL campaign.

THE cobwebs and accumulated dust of the long winter lay-off was very evident in this Allianz NHL opener in chilly Limerick yesterday, as both the new-look home side and an equally-experimental Cork team struggled to find any kind of hurling fluency.

COUNTY BOARD chairman Pat Fitzgerald last night drew a line under the dual-player controversy that has Limerick GAA in the headlines again for all the wrong reasons.

WHY must it always be Limerick? As crisis once again grips the GAA Shannonside, this is the questions asked by their long-suffering fans.