Limerick footballers to boycott Interpros

Limerick footballers are unlikely to have any representation in Munster’s Interprovincial football panel next month in what is a further protest at the seeded nature of this year’s draw.

However, they won’t be pushing players from Clare, Tipperary or Waterford to follow suit.

According to the four counties’ statement last October, players would be asked to consider not making themselves available to play in the competition on top of boycotting this month’s McGrath Cup.

However, 2013 Limerick captain Seanie Buckley confirmed there will be no pressure put on players to fall into line.

“It’s going to be on an individual basis and we don’t want to cut anybody’s opportunity of playing for the province if they are approached. From our own point of view, it’s looking that way (a boycott) but nobody is going to tell somebody else what to do. If a lad is asked to join it’s his own choice.”

Representatives from the four counties could meet prior to the start of the National League to assess their opposition towards the seeded draw, which this year hands Cork and Kerry byes to the semi-finals.

Players from the four counties insist they will not participate in next year’s provincial championship if the current structure remains in place but Buckley is fully focussed on Limerick’s work ahead of the start of their Division 3 campaign next month.

“We’ve Sligo in the first game and we’ve to prepare for it as well as we can. We’re not in the McGrath Cup and we’ve to play games to get up to speed and we’re into the swing of things and things are progressing.”

Meanwhile, the province will have the same managers in place next month as they did in 2013. Former Cork selector Ger O’Sullivan will take the football reins, working alongside ex-Kerry selector Ger O’Keeffe. It is O’Sullivan’s fourth time in charge of Munster. Tipperary’s 2010 All-Ireland winning manager Liam Sheedy will be over the hurlers for a third consecutive season.

Two executive board positions are up for grabs at the Munster convention in Adare on January 24 with Cork’s Diarmuid Gowan and Waterford’s Anthony Walsh contesting the treasurer spot vacated by Michael Fitzgerald of Limerick, while Kerry’s Willie O’Connor is seeking a second term as Munster Council PRO and faces Tipperary’s Ger Ryan as Ed Donnelly’s three-year term has expired.