Treaty split over Ryan
At an executive gathering on Monday evening, Limerick officials had blocked former senior team manager Ryan’s proposed return to an inter-county post in his native county.
After Ryan subsequently expressed shock and disappointment, the matter escalated further at the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel last night.
Shannonside top brass stood firm on their original decision that Ryan, who managed Limerick in the 1994 and 1996 All-Ireland senior finals, would not be heading up a new intermediate management team, which would have included Jimmy Carroll, Don Flynn and Pat Howard.
However, there was heated debate on the issue last evening and some clubs attempted to push through a vote on Ryan’s manage-ment.
The meeting was eventually adjourned for one week, after an hour of discussion ultimately resulted in stalemate. It is also understood a member of the executive stormed out of the meeting after alleging a delegate had laughed at him.
Ryan, however, was confirmed as one of Ciarán Carey’s selectors at U21 level.
Carey, captain when he scored a famous point in 1996 to end Clare’s reign as All-Ireland senior hurling champions, is returning for a second spell in charge of the U21s.
Carey, who succeeds new senior team joint-manager T J Ryan in the post, was previously manager of the Limerick U21s in 2008.
Patrickswell clubman Carey will be assisted by another former All Star, Mark Foley, as well as Liam O’Donoghue and Ryan.
Meanwhile, former Limerick senior player Diarmuid Sheehy was ratified as new manager of the county’s U21 footballers.
Sheehy’s selectors are Moss McCarthy, Kieran Dore and Brian O’Connell.
