Club’s long wait for right to captain the county

YOUR report on the captaincy of the Limerick senior hurling team (Irish Examiner, January 25) was read with some dismay in Bruree.

James O’Brien will captain the Limerick team in 2006 and, in his absence from the starting 15, Damien Reale will assume that role.

Your report assumes O’Brien will not be part of Richie Bennis’ starting team and proceeds to name Reale as captain.

It has taken Bruree 113 years to win a county senior hurling title and it hurts to have our nomination for captain of the county team dismissed is such fashion by you.

We had no hesitation in nominating James O’Brien for the position of captain and we have no doubt he will do an excellent job.

This choice would seem to have found favour within the county as a motion to remove the option of the county champions nominating the captain was roundly defeated at a recent county board meeting.

James O’Brien has an impeccable pedigree in Gaelic games in Limerick, being a son of 1973 All-Ireland medal winner, Jim O’Brien. Gerard O’Brien, another Bruree player on the panel, is James’ younger brother and another brother, John, is a former Limerick goalkeeper. By the way, the third Bruree member of the Limerick panel is Kieran (not Declan) O’Rourke.

Bruree GAA wish all three the very best with Limerick this season.

John Harrold

PRO

Bruree GAA

Co Limerick