Criticism of Keane is damaging Limerick hurling

LIMERICK County Board chairman Pat Fitzgerald has lashed out at what he describes as an orchestrated campaign to undermine the Limerick senior hurling team and its manager Dave Keane.

Commentating on widespread allegations that Keane had ‘lost the dressing room’, Fitzgerald said that people outside the team had their own agenda and were running to the media in an attempt to stir up trouble.

“A lot of public sniping, rumour and innuendo has been going on,” he said.

“We have a lot of knockers in our midst. I would appeal to these people to stop and think of the harm they are doing.”

Following Limerick’s exit from this year’s championship at the hands of Offaly last Saturday, former senior hurling manager Tom Ryan called for a new manager to be appointed.

Ryan said: “The last few decisions in relation to the appointment of a senior hurling manager have proved unsuccessful. Real progress has been made with football in recent years. Hurling should also be enjoying success.”

He went on: “The present team management has to be reviewed in light of recent results. Serious consultation needs to take place with the clubs and a selector appointed from each of the county’s four divisions.

“The U-21 players who enjoyed success with their three Munster and All-Ireland victories have been very strongly represented on the present squad, but there are players outside of those squads who did not get a fair chance to stake a claim. There is not enough competition for places in my view.”

Ryan also suggests that a series of inter-divisional trial games should be organised and from this a panel of committed players should be put in to a training and coaching programme to prepare for next year’s league and championship.

In an obvious reference to his own dismissal as team manager a few yeas ago, Ryan says the idea of settling of old scores should be forgotten: “The time is ripe to get rid of personality clashes and put Limerick hurling back to where it was in 1997.”

Pat Fitzgerald said he and his officers were concerned at allegations of dressing-room discontent and lack of discipline in the squad, which did not help the image of Limerick GAA. A lot of what had been said and published, he claimed, was simply not true.

Fitzgerald confirmed that a meeting was being arranged between county board officers, team management and players representatives at which all would be invited to air their views.

“This will be a talk-and-listen session. It is important that we all work together.

Mr Fitzgerald said it was unfortunate that controversy should have arisen at a time when the county board were in the process of tapping into the local community and business interests to reduce their debt of €5m at the redeveloped Gaelic Grounds.

Team manager Dave Keane said he had no comment to make and did not wish to become involved.