IT WOULD be easiest to begin a National Football League preview piece on the Limerick Footballers by listing off who is missing, more so than talking about who is going to be playing in Sunday’s opener against Sligo in Newcastlewest at 2pm.
The season that was 2014 ended in defeat at the hands of Sligo, but this weekend proves to be a new beginning in more ways that one.
Limerick manager John Brudair is driving that forward thinking mentality. John and his backroom team are working on making sure Limerick football’s future is bright, instead of dwelling on the past.
“We have 11 or 12 lads in our panel now who are under 21. We have amalgamated the two squads really to make sure we have stars of the future training with us for the season, as opposed to just three weeks ahead of the under 21 championship.”
Brudair’s side on Sunday will be similar enough to that which finished the game against the Sligo back in 2014.
Names such as Galvin, Collins, Ryan and Lavin may not be there, but last season’s newcomers are not flourishing and will provide the back bone once more to a side that is targeting Division three survival.
Brudair explains: “We have lads now like Gearóid Hegarthy, Cian Sheehan, Killian Fahy and Sean O’Dea who have benefitted hugely from last season. With teams such as Armagh, Clare, Tipperary and Wexford, every single point needs to be fought for. We need to make sure we create more scoring chances. We will have a new look forward line this weekend, so it is all about starting well. This division is like all the others, wins are of massive importance.”
Limerick Football Panel 2015
Paudie Aherne, (Kilteely/ Dromkeen), Denis Aherne, (Kilteely/ Dromkeen), Sean Barrett, (Bruff), Michéal Brosnan, (Dromcollogher/ Broadford), Paudie Browne, (Fr. Casey’s), Robert Browne, (Fr. Casey’s), Seanie Buckley, (Dromcollogher/ Broadford), Thomas Butler, (Feoghanagh/Castlemahon), Iain Corbett, (Newcastlewest), Stephen Cahill, (Mountcollins), Daniel Daly, (Fr. Casey’s), Cillian Fahy, (Dromcollogher/Broadford), Gearoid Hegarty, (St.Patrick’s), Jamie Lee, (Newcastlewest), Thomas Lee, (Ballylanders), Stephen Lucey, (Croom)(injured), Mikey Lyons, (Adare), Johnny Mc Carthy, (St. Kieran’s), Tony McCarthy, (Kildimo Pallaskenry), Colm Moran, (Monaleen), Pakie Moran, (Ballysteen), Jason Mullins, (St Patrick’s), John Mullane, (St.Patrick’s)(injured), Peter Nash, (Kildimo Pallaskenry), James Naughton, (St Senan’s), Danny Neville, (Ballysteen), Garrett Noonan, Dromcollogher/ Broadford), Sean O’Dea, (Kilteely/ Dromkeen), Denis O’Dea, (Kilteely/ Dromkeen), William O’Donoghue, (Na Piarsaigh), James O‘Meara, (Fr Casey’s), John O’Riordan, (Fr Casey’s), Donal O’Sullivan, (Monaleen), Killian Phair, (Dromcollogher/Broadford), Ian Ryan, (St Senan’s)(injured), Brian Scanlon, (Gerald Griffins), Cian Sheehan, (Newcastlewest), Chris Smyth, (Fr Casey’s), Darragh Tracey, (St Kieran’s), David Ward, (Fr Casey’s)
