Limerick forewarned for Offaly test

Offaly manager Eamonn Kelly accepts they have been a bogey team for Limerick in recent years but expects that will count against them in Tullamore on Sunday.

The Tipperary native anticipates Limerick will be forewarned and forearmed as a result of their last two Division 1B games against the Faithful County. Last year, they lost to Offaly in the Gaelic Grounds while they were held to a draw in O’Connor Park the previous season.

“That’s just going to make it more difficult for us,” said Kelly. “Limerick also probably feel they didn’t play to their potential against Kerry the last day so there will be no such things as catching them unawares.

“I see there being a big gap between Limerick and Clare and the rest of the teams in the league. They’re vying to be in Division 1A and both are capable of keeping their position in 1A whereas we’re just trying to consolidate our place in 1B. Being realistic, we’ll be looking to win but we’re looking for a performance first and seeing where that takes us. A quarter-final would be a bonus.”

Kelly is without Dermot Mooney and Conor Mahon though Mooney could be back before the Kerry game. “We don’t have a full pick as of yet but it’s a chance for somebody to nail down a place.”

Meanwhile, Limerick secretary Mike O’Riordan has pointed out Pa Ranahan’s claim there are 117 days between round one and two of the county’s senior football championship is incorrect.

A draft master fixtures plan has been issued to clubs in which the second round is pencilled in for the week ending July 31. Ranahan had stated the first round was May 1 and the second August 25.

O’Riordan acknowledged the gap is large but stressed: “Every weekend is taken up between those dates between hurling and football league matches and inter-county activity. We traditionally take off the month of July because there is too much uncertainty around the county fixtures and clubs prefer to know they’re not playing rather than anticipating a fixture could be arranged. They want to know where they stand.”

Limerick’s fixture planners’ job has been made more difficult this year by the U21 hurlers’ Munster quarter-final draw against Cork on June 28, which has had a domino effect on club fixtures.