Limerick hurlers head for Portugal camp, Kyle Hayes latest

Limerick manager John Kiely 

Limerick’s All-Ireland champion hurlers are set to jet off to Portugal on Friday for a warm-weather training camp.

John Kiely and his group will return late next week ahead of the penultimate Allianz Division 1, Group A game against Westmeath in Mullingar.

The last time Limerick used Portugal for pre-championship preparations was in February 2020, which also came before a league game with Westmeath. However, the five-day camp proved to be in vain due to the subsequent pandemic.

Limerick are among a number of counties taking the break weekend to finetune ahead of the provincial championships commencing in just over seven weeks’ time. Tipperary are making the short trip to Kerry where Limerick went prior to last year’s championship, while Waterford are also expected to head to warmer climes this month.

The counties are understood to have received permission from Croke Park to go ahead with the camps. According to the GAA's Rule 6.45, “Collective Training for all Senior Inter-County Team Panels which involves an overnight stay is not permitted unless written permission has been given in advance by the Central Competitions Control Committee.” 

Speaking of the Portugal trip three years ago, Kiely hailed the time spent there. “We had a fantastic week - it worked really well. We got five pitch sessions in - you can’t get that done here in two and a half weeks. And, we had all the other types of meetings, and video work.

“We are time-starved here at home. We only have them on a Tuesday night for two hours and again on a Friday night for an hour and a half and you can’t kill them too much because you have games coming around the corner.

“You would be surprised how much you can get done in a day with a training session in the morning and then maybe some video work and then a meeting and maybe a later session of a different nature in the afternoon. There was huge value in doing what we did.” 

Meanwhile, it is now believed Kyle Hayes will receive a retrospective punishment for his involvement in an incident with Brian Concannon in last Sunday’s win over Galway in Pearse Stadium.

Although initial indications were a one-match suspension could be recommended, sources suggest he may be issued a recommended two-game ban.

Were that to be the case, it would likely fall under the Category IV infractions, namely Rule 5.27: “To strike an opponent with a hurley, either with force or causing injury.”