O’Grady rules himself out of Limerick role

DONAL O’GRADY, former All-Ireland-winning manager with Cork and Irish Examiner columnist, has ruled himself out of the running for the Limerick hurling manager position.

Speculation about O’Grady’s intentions reached fever pitch last weekend among those in Dublin for the All-Ireland hurling final, but yesterday the Cork man quashed rumours that he was to succeed the embattled Justin McCarthy as hurling supremo on Shannonside.

“I haven’t spoken to anyone in Limerick,” said O’Grady yesterday.

“And nobody has spoken to me. I’m aware of those rumours but that’s all they are.”

The Limerick County Board has appointed a three-man committee to select a new manager following the refusal of most of the 2009 senior panel to play for Justin McCarthy.

The committee is comprised of former Limerick players Damien Quigley (Na Piarsaigh) and Paudie Fitzmaurice (Kileedy), and Dairygold chief executive Jim Woulfe.

It is understood that the committee has held separate meetings in the Deerpark Hotel in Charleville with the 2009 panel, and the squad that competed in the league and championship campaigns this season, and that the 2009 panel reiterated their unwillingness to play for McCarthy.

Among those nominated for the position were another former Cork manager, John Allen, who subsequently ruled himself out of consideration. Other names in the frame include former Limerick stars Gary Kirby, Ciaran Carey, Leo O’Connor, TJ Ryan and Val Murnane, while outgoing manager Justin McCarthy and former U21 boss Dave Keane have also been nominated.

It’s still unclear whether the committee have targeted their own candidates for interview.

While it was expected that the committee would be in a position to put a name forward for ratification at the next county board meeting on September 14, it now seems likely that the appointment will not be ratified until the October meeting.