McManus reluctant to reveal donation

LIMERICK County Board still cannot afford to take its eye off the ball,” despite the extraordinary gift of €5m from businessman and racehorse owner JP McManus.

The donation will clear the bulk of the debt on the redeveloped Gaelic Grounds stadium, Chairman Pat Fitzgerald insisted yesterday. “We have raised the bar with this generous donation, in that we are not [now] under serious pressure. We have targets to meet and work to do,’’ he said. “But it will secure the future of our games promotion development programme and our team training programme!’’

While the generosity of McManus took Limerick officials by surprise, it emerged the Executive had known for some time that he would be making a contribution. “We had a commitment from JP that, at the right time, when he saw the support from within Limerick Gaeldom, he would make a significant contribution. We had that all the time and kept it quiet,’’ said Mr Fitzgerald. “He is a genuine man and a decent Gael. We waited and then he came and said he would be making a contribution, in the last week or so.