With the generation of players that Limerick had coming through it’s hard to believe that at the very least they wouldn’t be competing for All Irelands, Kiely or no Kiely. Mightn’t have been as relentless or dominant but they still had all the raw materials for a half decent manager to get them to an All Ireland. Particularly in an era when the big 3 have fallen back.
A big sliding doors moment was the fact that Davy dragged out leaving the Clare job despite his future being untenable.
If he had stepped away and Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor appointed a few weeks earlier the likelihood is that they would have been able to get Kinnerk in as coach given the bond they had formed together at minor and under 21 level.
I think Kiely was appointed in early September with Kinnerk in toe and Davy stood down two weeks later.
I wouldn’t be so sure mate. Likes of Hego might never have kicked on as an example. He was literally playing football primarily at 19 years of age. Management is absolutely key.
I don’t know. We had a slightly inferior bunch of minors in 2013 and gone on to two All Ireland finals despite a mixum gatherem of managers in the meantime of varying abilities. You couldn’t do it without the raw material
Holidays are all part of the rewards when your on top. I seem to remember a certain cork player all those years ago going on the late late telling the country about he’s holiday in Thailand after winning an all ireland that came across as sex tourism to me
I’m not really convinced by that. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the level most of the players ever got to. Would hegarty have developed into a senior intercounty hurler let alone hurler of the year under any other manager or set up? Dan Morrissey had played a number of times at full back and wing back, never really convinced I’d say. Barry Nash hadn’t really fulfilled his promise and had fallen away from it, would he have gotten back in as a defender anywhere else. Gillane couldn’t make underage county teams. I think there’s a lot of players in that Limerick team that have reached a level well above what might have been expected from them.
Limericks 2013 minors beat Tipp in a Munster semi final. Most of the Tipp team were on 2012 panel, that was a massive win.
David Dempsey was MOTM that faithful night in Thurles.
The game Hego was on about was 2015, Tipperary were ruined by not getting Willie Maher in as u21 boss. Team picked wrong and LK won by a point. Colin O’Riordan nearly dragged tipp to victory by himself.
It was a great match tbf. Tipp had a bit of momentum after Barry got sent off, but Colin Malachy came on and won a few puckouts and a couple of frees to swing it back.
Ya it was but Tipp had there team totally wrong. Willie Maher was thrown to the wolves the next two years although they did get a famous win in 2016 over Limerick.
Limerick had a great team on paper in 2016 but probably had too many on the senior panel, preparations were severely disrupted.
The same was probably true in 2017 but we were out of the senior Championship just after our first round victory, so were able to train together than and got a bit of momentum.