‘No excuses’ for Limerick

Limerick captain Donal O’Grady said his namesake’s departure as co-manager won’t be used as an excuse should they lose their Munster semi-final to Tipperary on June 1.

However, he expressed regret at the manner in which the Cork man felt compelled to step away, after a difference of opinion with the county board.

Limerick last night returned to training for the first time since the club championships, where the players were introduced to new selector, Dave Clarke.

O’Grady and his fellow players declined to comment during last month’s controversy, but he admitted he was disappointed about how the row between the board and O’Grady and TJ Ryan was handled.

“I was (disappointed), just in the sense that most counties have these issues and they’re kept in-house. In Limerick, it takes over events and it goes national and everybody goes, ‘Ah, that’s Limerick off again’.

“But that would be the only thing. I’ve no doubt there are issues in other counties worse and they’re swept under the carpet. You might think ‘here we go again’ but from the players’ point of view, everybody just knew our roles not to get involved in it and I think that was a key part in it.”

The players chose not to step in as they felt it was something the powers that be had to sort out.

O’Grady revealed his initial reaction to the news was to throw his eyes to heaven. “Yes, when it originally happened, but in fairness to TJ and the lads, once they were all behind us and they were staying on, it kind of settled down, and we were back fairly sharpish after it.

“TJ just had a few words with us just to say ‘look, lads, Donal has made his decision and it’s an issue between himself and the county board. We can’t let it catch ye out in preparations’. Obviously, it’s disappointing but lads have just put it to the side. We haven’t really had much time to dwell on it.”

He insisted there will be no mention of mitigating circumstances ahead of their trip to Thurles next month.

“I can categorically say now it won’t be an excuse. I think we’ve learned an awful lot from Donal O’Grady up to now. It has been disappointing. We’re looking forward to Tipp. We’ve work to do between now and then. It’s kind of put to the side. I presume it will raise its head in county board meetings before the year is out but, again, it’s nothing to do with us.”

“We’ve parked it and it won’t be an issue. Donal O’Grady was with us during the league and performances weren’t that good.”

The two O’Gradys spoke the day after the Corkman emailed the players outlining why he was leaving just six months after being appointed. “I spoke directly with Donal on Monday and he told me his reasons. I just said to him we respect him enough to know that we’re not going to change his mind by calling his phone 10 times.”

Although he agreed the failure to gain promotion from Division 1B dented Limerick’s confidence and the perception from outside the county is the team have lost momentum since winning the Munster final last year, O’Grady believes circling the wagons could end up benefiting Limerick.

“It can give us a bit of an edge. It can unite us. It can bring us that bit tighter and we can go to Thurles all guns blazing.”

O’Grady’s looking forward to working with 1994 All-Star Clarke. “We’d all respect him, it’s great to bring in a fella like that who has hurled for Limerick and has reasonable success with Limerick. We all look up to him as a leader and hopefully he’ll bring that bit of passion and it might just be exactly what we need going into Tipperary.”