Limerick move quickly to replace Nash as selector

GAELIC GAMES: Limerick have moved quickly to fill the vacancy left by Declan Nash's surprise resignation from the senior hurling management. Ger Cunningham, currently the team coach, was appointed a selector by last night's meeting of the county executive. He joins manager Joe McKenna and selector Liam Lenihan.

Cunningham has a successful club track record, having taken Newtownshandrum of Cork to the All-Ireland club title last year. He is also involved with Thurles Sarsfields in Tipperary as well as his county.

Nash's departure was a major surprise given that it comes just a fortnight before Limerick's All-Ireland quarter-final date with Leinster champions Kilkenny.

"He didn't give any reasons for his decision," said county secretary Jimmy Hartigan yesterday, "and we have no further comment to make on the matter."

Nash had resigned as a selector before. Back in March, after Pad Joe Whelahan stepped down as manager after a run of bad results in the National League, Nash followed suit, but was persuaded to reconsider and stay on in the same capacity with his South Liberties club colleague McKenna.

His departure now is seen as confirmation of a rift in the management. After the recent All-Ireland qualifier defeat by Galway, there was criticism of McKenna for insisting on fielding Andrew O'Shaughnessy as a wing forward rather than what is seen by many as his best position in the corner, from where he scored 3-2 in a recent club match.

The controversy is only the latest in a county that has reeled from crisis to crisis since its last good championship season in 2001. In the meantime, there have been five managers, of whom McKenna is the latest, and yet the county is still waiting on its first championship win over major opposition, with only qualifier wins over Kerry, Antrim and Laois to the county's credit in the past four years.

And there is still no sign of the three successive under-21 All-Irelands impacting at senior level.

Not surprisingly, morale in the county is said to be low, and the championship meeting of the last two county title winners, Ahane and Patrickswell, drew only 400 to the Gaelic Grounds.

Meanwhile, Dublin make three changes to their team for tomorrow night's Leinster under-21 hurling final against favourites Kilkenny, who are chasing a provincial three in-a-row, in Dr Cullen Park, Carlow, at 7.30pm.

Full forward Graham Morris has been ruled out from the start after picking up a bad hand injury in the semi-final victory over Offaly, so Alan McCrabbe comes in to Dublin's inside forward line.

Keith Nolan returns from an ankle injury to displace Dave Byrne at right half back, and James Duffy comes in to the attack at left half-forward at the expense of Stuart Mullen.

DUBLIN (Under-21 HC v Kilkenny): A Nolan; G O'Meara, C O'Brien, D O'Reilly; K Nolan, R Fallon, C Billings; M Carton, W Lowry; E Moran, T Sweeney, J Duffy; A McCrabbe, P Carton, A Glennon. Subs: S Lane, R Trainor, P Bergin, D Byrne, S Sullivan, S Mullen, G Morris, M Griffin, S Lehane.

TIPPERARY (IH v Cork): A Cooney; J Moran, B Lawlor, M Phelan; C O'Brien, E Ryan, C Everard; S McGrath, B Hogan; S Stapleton, T Slevin, A Fitzgerald; S Everard, P Lawlor, R O'Brien.