The Limerick hurling saga grinds on. Last night's meeting of the county executive and Eamon Cregan's four selectors ended like so many other similar sessions this week, without any decision being taken on the future of the county senior hurling management.

No official statement was released at the end of the two-hour meeting, but it is believed that proceedings were adjourned - yet again - with a possible resumption date of tomorrow.

On the face of it, the choices were fairly stark: Either reinstate Cregan or stand over the previous acceptance of his resignation.

Yet, despite every conceivable indicator that players and the GAA public at large want Cregan to resume, the county executive seem unable to accept that fact.

But they appear equally incapable of shutting down the matter and persuading all concerned that one of Cregan's selectors, Mossie Carroll, should take over at the helm.

Yesterday's events were as baffling as any this week.

Thursday night's meeting of the county executive adjourned after midnight. It was to consider Cregan's offer to withdraw his resignation and was to resume its deliberations over this weekend.

Instead, a meeting between Cregan and two county officers - believed to be chairman Donal Fitzgibbon and secretary Jimmy Hartigan - took place yesterday.

It was reported on radio bulletins in the afternoon that Cregan had been re-appointed as manager and that Mossie Carroll - Cregan's successor - had stepped down. Responding to this, Limerick county board PRO Denis O'Carroll said that no such decision had been taken.

"There is no truth in that. Eamon Cregan has not been reinstated as the county senior hurling manager. There is to be another meeting this evening with the other selectors."

Cregan, however, left the earlier meeting believing that the matter was on the verge of resolution. "I thought so," he said afterwards, "but it doesn't really matter as the matter will have to go to the county board."

He declined to discuss the matter further pending the conclusion of last night's meeting.

But it is clear that the top officials in the county are faced with a knotty dilemma.

On the one hand, neither the players nor the GAA public at large in Limerick are prepared to live with the summary acceptance Cregan's resignation.

Yet, reports suggest that the executive is trying to reconcile the irreconcilable. Given the failure of any of Cregan's selectors to back him publicly in the aftermath of his resignation - on a matter of principle concerning the executive's refusal to vote confidence in him - their positions are untenable.

Even if Cregan were to return without preconditions, it is hard to see how anyone could expect him to work again with Carroll, Joe Grimes, Canon Willie Fitzmaurice and Michael Fitzgerald.

More seriously, given the refusal of the players to co-operate with Carroll at his first team meeting on Wednesday night, it is unlikely that even Cregan could persuade them to accept the selector back as if nothing had happened.

Carroll's interim appointment was never ratified by the county board, which isn't due to meet until the week after next and, ultimately, it is likely to call the shots on a final settlement.

There is a widespread acceptance that the executive's Plan B in the aftermath of Cregan's resignation has no chance of working. Despite this, there would appear a strange reluctance on the part of the executive to hand Cregan back the reins without the sort of preconditions that they are in no position to enforce.

In other words, Limerick can have Cregan back or they can try and hang tough on Carroll's appointment. But there's no way they can turn the clock back and carry on as if the last week never happened.