No end to crisis in sight before league

THE CHANCES of finding any resolution to the Limerick hurling crisis ahead of this weekend’s Allianz National League appear to have evaporated.

Croke Park have declined to enter any mediation process until such a time as all parties are prepared to commit to finding a solution, but with the exiled players adamant they will not return as long as Justin McCarthy is in charge, any such efforts remain redundant.

Instead it seems inevitable the matter will land back at the feet of the club delegates, despite the fact they already gave McCarthy their vote of confidence before Christmas.

McCarthy is equally adamant he will see out his two-year term, even though he now has just six players from last year’s panel of 30, with most of those opting out being the most experienced.

Last week GAA president Christy Cooney made it clear Croke Park would only intervene if they saw a reason to.

“The bottom line is that if all parties are serious about trying to progress a solution to the impasse that exists in Limerick, certainly we’d be happy in Croke Park, to support a solution, if we can,” he said.

“But that means the team management, the players, the county board, are all prepared to sit around the table, with an open mind, and be positive about finding a solution.

“We’re not going to get involved if any of the parties are not prepared to give that type of commitment. Because you couldn’t resolve the problem under those circumstances.”

According to a spokesperson in Croke Park yesterday, there currently is no such role for the GAA, given the continuing stance of the exiled players.

In the meantime, Limerick’s opening game in the league this Sunday against Galway has been fixed for Kilmallock, as the Gaelic Grounds is playing host to the AIB All-Ireland club football semi-final between Kilmurry-Ibrickane and Portlaoise.

The Institute of Technology, Tralee (ITT) are this week staging the second annual Fitness Convention, which opens this evening at the Carlton Hotel (formerly Fels Point) at 7pm with a “Winning Formulas Forum” that includes Kerry’s All-Ireland winning football manager Jack O’Connor, Kilkenny hurling trainer Martin Fogarty, and former Irish rugby international Mick Galwey. Tickets for that event are available at the venue.

Tomorrow’s day-long session of workshops still has limited availability, with the impressive range of tutors including Prof Graham Smith, physiotherapist, from Glasgow, who will talk about rehab programmes, Martin Haines, also from Britain, on the latest research on core stability, and Tom Comyns, former Irish sprint champion who now works with Munster rugby, who will talk on speed training for team sports.