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Board go too far but O’Grady leaves Limerick in the lurch
Inside Track with John McIntyre
WHEN it comes to self preservation as a GAA team manager, Donal O’Grady could give a master class on the subject. He tends not to overstay his welcome; is rarely influenced by public opinion; takes a pragmatic approach to his role with teams; and tends to get out of town when the timing arouses curiosity to say the least.
In 1995, Pat O’Neill dropped a bomshell when he stepped down as Dublin football manager after leading them to All-Ireland glory. O’Neill’s decision went totally against the grain, but he was a busy sports injury consultant and, undeniably, was getting out at the top. Still, we didn’t anticipate Dr. O’Neill starting a new trend.
O’Grady, the former Cork full back, has always been his own man and when he managed the Rebels to the McCarthy Cup in 2004, he too stunned the GAA fraternity by subsequently resigning his sideline post. Again, his sense of timing caused consternation among Cork fans, but the fact that one is his mentors, John Allen, successfully stepped into the breach and retained the All-Ireland title the following year ensured there was no significant fall out.
In the intervening years, O’Grady was linked with the Waterford post, but it was Limerick who enticed him back into inter-county management in the winter of 2010. The Shannonsiders had just ended the troubled rein of another Cork man, Justin McCarthy, and few could argue that O’Grady wasn’t a terrific appointment giving his standing in the game – he is also a respected GAA pundit – and achievements with Cork.
In fairness to the St. Finbarr’s clubman, he publicly insisted his move to Limerick would be a short term project. He quickly set about healing rifts and his conciliatory style, together with intensive (and basic) coaching of the players, improved the squad’s fortunes. Limerick won Division 2 of the league, but controversially weren’t promoted to the top flight due to a revamp of the competition. They also made the All-Ireland quarter-final that year.
Despite having previously indicated that he would not be in Limerick for the long haul, there was still local astonishment when he walked away after just one year in charge. Again, Allen came in to fill the void and he guided Limerick to their first Munster championship in nearly 20 years in 2013, but they subsequently came up well short against neighbours Clare in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Allen had now been two years at the helm, but he too exited the Limerick stage with unusual timing. It is understood the County Board initially courted former Tipperary boss Liam Sheedy to take over, but eventually came up with a joint managerial ticket of O’Grady and ex-county player TJ Ryan. If O’Grady’s departure had caused surprise, his return to Limerick raised even more eyebrows. On the surface, it certainly appeared an odd move but, perhaps, he felt the foundation had really been laid for a serious assault on the championship.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune