Michael Duignan questions Kerry 'recruiting' talent from outside the county

In November, Kerry were granted a deviation in the special eligibility rule, which states only hurlers at Nicky Rackard or Lory Meagher Cup level can line out for the county of their parent(s) and retain their own club.

Tue, 11 Jan, 2022 - 18:57

John Fogarty

Offaly GAA chairman Michael Duignan believes the inclusion of three Limerick players in the Kerry senior hurling panel does little for the promotion of the game in the Kingdom.

Highlighting Davy Glennon’s 2020 transfer from Galway to his mother Eileen’s Westmeath while continuing to line out for Mullagh as precedent, Kerry’s request was granted by Central Council.

With Glennon lining out in the half-forward line, Westmeath beat Kerry in last year’s Joe McDonagh Cup final.

In Saturday’s Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling Cup quarter-final in Tralee, Kerry pulled off their first-ever win over Tipperary with two Limerick starters — Pádraig Ahern of Killeedy who scored three points and goalkeeper Louis Dee (Mungret). Dee’s fellow club man Niall Mulcahy was named on the bench.

Kerry’s recruitment is known to have angered a number of other counties such as Antrim and Down. Along with Offaly, they are expected to raise the matter at Saturday week’s Central Council meeting.

Duignan believes Kerry shouldn’t need the assistance of outside players.

“I don’t know what it does for the promotion of hurling in Kerry. As far as Offaly are concerned, we are training young lads from the start and go to the field. If a guy had genuine Offaly connections, we might look at it as a one-off scenario but that’s a different story. We certainly wouldn’t be going outside the county recruiting hurlers to play for Offaly.

“I have spoken to our Central Council delegate, the Leinster Council, to (Leinster vice-chairman and Central Competitions Controls Committee chairman) Derek Kent. It’s Kerry’s business how they promote hurling in Kerry but I would have thought they have plenty of players of their own.

“I’m just surprised by it. It went under the radar in being passed. We all have delegates who can challenge, debate and vote on it. It was a democratic decision. I know there is a new management team there (manager Stephen Molumphy, Pat Bennett and Shane Briggs) and they’re probably anxious to succeed but from our point of view we would be looking to develop our own players.”

Duignan accepts the rule is there for fledgling hurling counties but shouldn’t be available to counties who are challenging to compete in the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

“It can be in the short term in giving a boost,” he says in relation to Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cup counties. “There is precedent when players have come in from other places and made a difference. I think it is fair to say we have all struggled to promote the game in the so-called weaker hurling counties but it’s a complex issue in terms of developing from the grassroots up. Certainly, it could provide a shot in the arm but Kerry are a well-established hurling county.

"The numbers of clubs they have would be comparable to those we and others have in the Joe McDonagh Cup. I’d be interested to know what their own clubs and players think about this because it’s a very short-term view in my opinion.”

Speaking to this newspaper in November, outgoing Kerry chairman Tim Murphy said: “Last year, we had two players from Limerick who wanted to play for Kerry, the home county of their mother, but they couldn’t play because Kerry weren’t listed as one of the counties. We made the case and Central Council backed it last week. It’s a good news story for Kerry hurling and is sure to give a boost to our senior hurlers.”