Boost for Limerick footballers as Kelly to continue ‘dual mandate’

MICKEY Ned O’Sullivan has confirmed that forward Stephen Kelly will continue to juggle Limerick Gaelic football and Shannon rugby commitments throughout the spring.

The Newcastlewest man was a key figure as Limerick nearly claimed Munster football honours against Cork last summer.

His availability is certainly a major boost for the county’s ambitions in 2010.

Kelly operated a dual mandate last spring and after the success of that policy, O’Sullivan is confident that the player can combine both codes again this season.

“Stephen will continue to play for both Limerick and Shannon this season. It worked very well for us last season, when I would liaise regularly with Mick Galwey in Shannon.

“There’s new management in place this year in Shannon, but I’ll be talking to them regularly as well. Most of his games are on Saturday with the rugby and we will work it as it goes along. I’m sure that it will continue and Stephen is a big player in our squad.”

Limerick’s fortunes have also been boosted by the addition of Galbally player James Ryan who featured for the county’s hurlers last season before departing the panel last autumn during the senior hurling crisis, but Stephen Lucey and Thomas Cahill will be sidelined with injury for some time.

“James will be a big help to us,” says O’Sullivan.

“He had indicated before the hurling issue arose, that he was going to commit to the football setup.

“It’s great news that he is available as he had been involved with the footballers only for the previous three years. Tom Cahill, one of our options for midfield, suffered a serious broken leg in the county final so he’ll be out for the foreseeable future.

“His leg still hasn’t knitted properly so he will need time. Stephen Lucey is still out with a serious hamstring injury but that has been the case for a couple of months.”

Meanwhile the Meath County Board is hopeful that it will have a new sponsor in place for the Royal footballers by the time they play host to Armagh in the floodlit opener of the league on February 6.

“We’re working on it at the moment and have put a few feelers out but nothing has come of that yet anyway,” admitted county secretary, Cyril Creavin.

“To be honest, with the weather, we can’t get talking to people, we can’t even get to meet them.

“We didn’t know about this until the week before Christmas so we were left in the lurch really but that’s how it is and we must get on with it.

“We’re hoping to have something secured before the start of the league, we’d hope to have a name anyway.”