Allen rubber-stamped in Limerick

FIVE years after departing Cork, John Allen is back in inter-county management.

Wed, 12 Oct, 2011 - 01:00

Brian Casey

The former All-Ireland winning player and manager got the seal of approval last night as the new Limerick senior hurling manager, to once again succeed Donal O’Grady.

At the monthly meeting of the Limerick County Board, the St Finbarr’s man was handed a two-year term on Shannonside to become the third successive Corkman to lead Limerick, following O’Grady and Justin McCarthy.

The appointment of Allen’s management team was unopposed, although there were questions as to why Limerick have sought another ‘outside’ manager.

“With our underage set up now in place and people moving up along, it would be my hope that on the next occasion it would be a Limerick man,” said chairman Liam Lenihan.

Allen, a retired teacher who guided Cork to their 2005 All-Ireland success, will be joined in his backroom set up by just one member of the out-going management team that served with O’Grady — Ciaran Carey.

The chairman told the meeting that it was his understanding that another selector was offered a role, but had declined.

Both Carey and fellow outgoing selector TJ Ryan were in line to succeed O’Grady but Limerick’s three-man independent appointments committee of Jim Woulfe, Paudie Fitzmaurice and Damien Quigley, opted to nominate Allen for the role.

Donagh O’Donnell was unveiled as Allen’s coach. Cork native O’Donnell is a teacher in Nenagh CBS and has worked with clubs in both Tipperary and Limerick in recent seasons as well as managing the Nenagh CBS Dr Harty Cup side.

Allen, O’Donnell and Carey are to be joined in the back room team by two further selectors, John Kiely and Eamon Meskell.

A teacher in Abbey CBS in Tipperary, Kiely was manager of the Limerick intermediate side last season that reached the Munster final, where they lost to Clare.

Meskell comes into the inter-county set up after a successful club campaign when he was a selector with Ahane, who were defeated in the recent county senior hurling final by Na Piarsaigh.