Kearns relishes Limerick’s first foray in football’s top flight

THE real start of the inter-county season is just two weeks away, when the first round of the Allianz National Football League will be played and already Limerick manager Liam Kearns has concerns about how his team is going to fare.

The problem is that a combination of injuries threaten to unsettle them in the early stages, when they require a full panel of players to make an impact. They will be competing in Division One for the first time ever - opening their campaign with a game against Leinster champions Laois - and many a team has faltered as a consequence of losing in the early rounds.

Kearns points out retaining their first-division status is one of two goals. The other is obvious - to get back to another Munster final.

He is relishing the challenge, but it’s one that he doesn’t intend to devote more than another two years to. After that, who knows. Maybe the Kerry job will be vacant again. Either way, the Limerick-based Garda admits that he never regarded himself as a contender for the position last winter after Paidí O Sé was passed over. Quite simply, apart from being committed to Limerick, he was never contacted about the position.

“Until I vacated the Limerick job I didn’t see how I could be a runner. And, I was never approached by anybody in authority from Kerry,” he explains.

“I think the next few years will finish this job one way or another. I was always keen to see out the next few years.’’

He brought the squad together at the beginning of November, so they have about two and a half months training done. Add in six challenge matches in recent weeks and it’s obvious that they will be fairly well prepared for the opening of the League. However, the fitness of a number of key players worries him. “We have an awful lot of injuries at the moment, away too many,’’ he states. “About seven of our first team from the championship last year are on the injured list and that is restricting us.”

John Quane, the team’s most experienced player, has just recovered from injury, but is away on honeymoon and misses Sunday’s McGrath Cup game away to Waterford. Of the others, John Galvin, Micheál Reidy, Conor Fitzgerald, Stephen Lavin, and Brian Begley are carrying what he describes as ‘serious’ injuries, and are at different stages of recovery.

“We need to have our full panel available,’’ he adds. “John Quane will be back at the end of the month and will certainly be on the panel for the first match. We think John Galvin will also be on the bench for that match, but Stephen Lavin and Conor Fitzgerald have longer to go.’’

Achieving their objectives will be difficult, he admits, but he’s enthusiastic about the prospect of playing first-division football, against the likes of Armagh, Meath and Laois. “We’ll have a lot to learn. It’s the place to learn and we want to stay there - and get back to a Munster final again. We got to our first one last year and it’s no good getting to another in four or five years time. It has to be this year. We have to go back.’’

Encouragingly, he will be working off a stronger panel, which includes five new forwards, among them ex-Mayo player Maurice Horan.

Owen Keating, who had been playing soccer, has given him a commitment for twelve months. Hurlers Mark Keane and Mike O’Brien are on the panel as well and Timmy Carroll, a member of the Under-21 squad which won the Munster championship. “I also have Johnny McCarthy and Darren Burke who I would rate highly as backs,’’ he added.

On the specific issue of dual players - on which hurling manger Padjoe Whelahan has strong views - Kearns refused to make any comment, explaining: “there’s plenty of talk going on and if I have something to say to the media I’ll say it at an appropriate time. This isn’t an appropriate time.’’

“For me this year is massive for us. Last year, we were ahead of our time getting to a Munster final. I felt there was a chance for us to maybe win it. There was, but we were not quite ready or good enough ourselves.

“This year it’s make or break!’’

The management is restricted to 21 players this weekend, with Stephen Lucey (involved with UCD), unavailable. However, Kearns says it will be a useful exercise; “The McGrath Cup is a great way of preparing for the League - a chance for the young players to find out what they are about.’’