Limerick’s Kerry factor is to success

KERRY’S contribution to Limerick’s exhilarating win over Cork in the Bank of Ireland Munster SFC was considerable.

You can almost imagine frustrated Cork followers muttering 'wouldn't you know it.'

The winning team manager, Liam Kearns, is from Kerry and his work over recent years with Limerick footballers has done much to raise the profile of the team and bring success at underage and senior level. A selector who joined Kearns when he got involved with the inter-county teams is Brian Kelly, a brother of the GAA's new President, Sean Kelly from Kerry of course.

Limerick's win was well flagged by recent under-age success. They lost a minor All-Ireland final and an U21 All-Ireland final and many of those players figured in Sunday's win over Cork. Indeed, they beat Cork in the Munster Championship semi-final by 2-8 to 1-10 at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and beat Waterford 0-7 to 0-4 in Dungarvan on their way to that U21 All-Ireland decider which they lost to Tyrone.

Brian Kelly made reference to the progression through under-age ranks when he said: "I think the team came of age on Sunday. We needed to take a big scalp to help take the next step and as we'll be playing in Division One next year we are now well on course."

The Limerick followers would like to interpret that comment as a suggestion that they are on course for an All-Ireland title win but nobody close to the team is thinking on those lines just yet. Hasten slowly is the motto.

Kelly added: "There was great confidence in the team and we had no doubt they had the ability after their achievements at minor and U21 levels. But if we were not going to do something at senior level there was a danger the team would fall away."

It is obvious the systematic build-up to Sunday's win was too soundly based for that to happen. The preparatory work was exemplary and Kelly continued: "I got involved with Limerick footballers in 1998/99 as a selector with the under-age teams when Liam Kearns came on board and we've worked with the seniors since 2000.

"They are a very dedicated bunch of guys and the mood within the group is more like that of a club team than an inter-county selection. They train together, play together and socialise together.

"There is no rivalry within the squad, instead there is great harmony and a collective will to achieve. There is no problem in motivating these players."

Limerick's win can only be good for football. Their footballers have always been in the shadow of the hurlers and that may always be the case just like Kerry hurlers and Cork footballers but with their good run in the League behind them they look set to impact on the championship.

Brian Kelly has served Gaelic football all his life. He is manager of Iarnrod Eireann in Limerick and prior to that worked with the company for more than 10 years in Cork, where he was an officer of the Douglas club. Now he is a member of the Mungret St Paul's club and he said: "The team has trained with great dedication three times a week for the past couple of years. Liam brought in Dave Moriarty to take charge of the physical training.

"Dave is a garda based in Templemore and he brought great variety into the training and introduced different drills and exercises to keep it interesting for the players so they were always looking forward to the training sessions."

Limerick used the County Board grounds at Rathkeale as their base and after a round of club matches next weekend they will return there to prepare for the semi-final against Clare from next week.

"We'll take a couple of days off to celebrate the win over Cork" said Brian, "and Liam might bring the group together for a light session on Thursday. But they will be with their clubs at the weekend."

After that ? "The game against Clare is four weeks away and will take all our attention. We're not going to get carried away with this win, welcome as it was. Clare will be delighted with the result, they'll fancy their chances even more now and we know it will be tough. We're not looking beyond that."