Limerick board defends actions in wake of O’Grady resignation

It may not completely quel the controversy but the Limerick County Board have defended their actions which resulted in the resignation of co-hurling manager Donal O'Grady, claiming "an agreed statement clarifying matters arising from the April county board meeting" had been drafted, but that O'Grady himself was reluctant to engage further on the matter.

O’Grady resigned on Sunday night, after a clearly awkward sequence of events, and indeed statements, following that April meeting of the Limerick county board: this included comments attributed to county board secretary Mike O’Riordan, which claimed O’Grady and co-manager TJ Ryan “basically apologised for the performance against Offaly” in a recent league game, those same comments then widely reported to be have been aired at a subsequent county board meeting. O’Grady and Ryan deny ever apologising.

However the management committee of Limerick board called an emergency meeting for Monday night, and in a statement issued yesterday, quoted the Limerick county chairman, Oliver Mann, who claimed efforts had been made for those controversial statements to be clarified: "The chairman expressed his disappointment at the (O'Grady) decision, particularly so when efforts were ongoing to finalise an agreed statement clarifying matters arising from the April county board meeting.

"The chairman confirmed that the draft statement had included a statement confirming that the joint managers had never apologised for the performance against Offaly; however they had accepted full accountability and taken full responsibility for failing to achieve league promotion."

Statement
The statement added: "Unfortunately Donal O'Grady was reluctant to agree the statement or engage with a third party intermediary to finalise an agreed statement. In the end he choose to resign his position . . ."

In the meantime the Limerick management committee also "decided unanimously" to confirm Ryan as sole manager for the remaining of 2014, along with existing selectors Mark Lyons and Paul Beery.

The committee will also be looking to appoint a coach to take over the role that O’Grady had held.