Kilmallock result still leaves Limerick hurling in limbo

JUSTIN McCarthy may have got a stay of execution as Limerick senior hurling team manager at Kilmallock last Sunday, but it’s surely only a matter of time before the former Cork player is forced to walk the plank. His young team certainly fought an honourable battle in their opening National League tie against Galway but, in several ways, this represented their easiest fixture of the campaign.

Twelve months ago, Cork hurling found itself in exactly the same position with all their senior players on strike and, as a consequence, a third string selection represented the county in their first league outing against Tipperary at Thurles. They too were generally expected to be hammered, but they weren’t overawed and produced a highly energetic performance before succumbing to the inevitable defeat.

Like Cork last year, Limerick’s new-look outfit carried no baggage into their league game against Galway. Their largely young team was prepared to have a go and looking at their pre-match warm up in Kilmallock, it was noticeable how sharp their stickwork was and how keen they were. Their overall body language suggested that the men in green were prepared to lay their bodies on the line.

Unsurprisingly, a big crowd gathered in Kilmallock. Apart from the local curiosity factor and family loyalties to the players who had been promoted to represent Limerick, there would also have been a significant representation of ‘supporters’ who gathered in the hope that their team might suffer a hiding so as to expedite McCarthy’s departure. In the end, this group will have exited the grounds the most disappointed.

Indeed, for about 45 minutes, there was every prospect of a shock result. Boosted by a first-half goal from wing forward Cathal Mullane, Limerick were giving as good as they got and when they went two points clear early in the second-half, you could almost sense the changing mood among some of the fans on the terraces. With their team management animated and vocal, they had momentum and Galway in trouble. The final quarter, however, was largely one-way traffic and given the number of goal chances created by the Westerners, the home team were lucky to be only seven points behind at the finish.

The problem with Limerick’s respectable margin of defeat is that it’s neither one thing nor the other in the context of McCarthy’s future. The county remains in limbo and a heave against the team manager can’t be justified this week after their noble effort against Galway. In reality, however, it’s only delaying the inevitable as Limerick are bound to struggle more as the league evolves, forcing the County Board to eventually take the decisive action which has been conspicuous by its absence so far.

Frankly, from the outside looking in, it appears that Limerick have learned nothing from the Cork dispute. McCarthy is still a dead manager walking and it beggars belief that he has been allowed to stay in position despite virtually all of last year’s squad being sidelined. Remember, 12 of them were initially dropped by the team management before another dozen walked out in protest over the heartless manner in which their colleagues were culled. Reportedly, McCarthy didn’t make any form of contact to let them know that they were deemed surplus to requirements.

That utter breakdown in communications is unforgiveable in the modern era and McCarthy’s management stand indicted on a basic failure to treat some of their players with the necessary respect. Eventually, though, the County Board will have no option but to intervene if Limerick become increasingly uncompetitive in the league. Last year’s hammering by Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final was bad enough, but their current internal strife is only compounding the crisis and is doing untold damage to the morale of a once-proud hurling county.

Any other manager in McCarthy’s predicament would have long since walked away by this stage. What is the point of staying on when your best players have turned their back on you? Sure, McCarthy has his pride and after the players’ revolt in Waterford, he is obviously anxious not to be forced out of a second county in little less than two years. The problem is that his blinkered attitude is holding the entire county to ransom and, so far, weak local GAA officials have been complicit in letting McCarthy have his way . . . to the detriment of Limerick hurling.

For more, read page 55 of this week's Connacht Tribune.