John Galvin expects an end to high player turnover in the Limerick senior football squad

FORMER Limerick footballer John Galvin says he expects the high rate of player turnover in the Limerick senior footabll squad to come to an end for the 2026 season. 

Galvin believes Limerick success in the Tailteann Cup this year will make it more appealing for players to commit to the senior football panel. The Shannonsiders have recorded five victories on their route to this year's Tailteann Cup final. 

Fourteen players who were involved in last year's panel are not part of this Limerick senior football panel this year. Jim Liston, Cathal Downes, Joe Sweeney, Shane Doherty, Shane Costello, Robbie Bourke, Tommy Griffin, Daniel Daly, Brian O'Sullivan, Diarmuid Kelly, Aaron Neville, Eoin Hurley, Bryan Nix and Aaron O'Sullivan are not part of this year's panel.

"There's no doubt Jimmy Lee took on a hard role, the turnover of players over the last number of years has been massive. It's not that long agso wasn't there over 50 players turned down the opportunity to play football for Limerick. It is actually something that is discussed, there's between 37 and 42 players on the Limerick panel depending on development players and stuff, what they're trying to do is things like this. They really want to try and get it down to low single digits is what the target is which is going to be massive compared to a couple of years ago. 

"I mean if people are happy with the system and people are happy with the management and the training and they're winning something that turnover of players is going to go down automatically, your turnover of players are ideally retirements. After this season alone, they're going to have no problem with turnover of players next year what happens after that I don't know," said former Limerick senior footballer John Galvin at an AIB media event ahead of the Tailteann Cup final. 

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Galvin lined out for Limerick between 1999 and 2014. During his inter-county career he lined out in four Munster SFC finals. The Croom native feels Limerick have bought into the Tailteann Cup. 

"It's something that I was unsure of when it was being brought out, it's something that the team have really bought into. Massive weekend, not to knock the fact that the hurlers are out but it gives the footballers full attention which is great. Massive opportunity to do something that hasn't been done, to actually finish the year on a win and not spend the next number of months thinking of what could have been."

2024 was a difficult year for Limerick football where they suffered relegation to Division 4 and suffered a heavy defeat to Sligo in the Tailteann Cup quarter-final. This year, Limerick won the Division 4 league title in Croke Park and Lee's side have won nine games between league and championship, drew two games and suffered two defeats. 

"If you look back at 2024, I mean it wasn't a good year. I know they had a couple of close games in the league, very poor finish to the year against Sligo. I don't know what it is, the only thing I can put it down to really the new rules. Is it just one of those situations where Limerick have really took to the new rules," added the former Limerick midfielder. 

Galvin finds it difficult to pinpoint what exactly has changed in Limerick but he believes that the Shannonsiders have embraced the new rules. 

"I know when the new rules came out and people were talking about kickouts, Limerick did an awful lot of eleven v eleven games, I don't know did they just takes to the rules very fast. It just really has benefited them more than anything else, same as everything you get a couple of wins under your belt and confidence gets going. They have just built on it from there, they have just got a run of wins this year and they have kept going with it," he said. 

John Galvin says it's all about inspiring the next generation for the Limerick footballers ahead of this Saturday's Tailteann Cup final against Kildare. The West Limerick native feels it is important for Lee's side to deliver a big performance on national television this weekend. 

"It's all about the next generation, we need players to want to play football for Limerick. You've probably seen it around the county, it's been a while since you've seen (signs) saying best of luck to the Limerick footballers. There's a pile of Limerick flags out on the roads, they're going playing in Croke Park on television for the third time this year.

"I played for fiveteen years, I think I only played in Croke Park three times in my fiveteen year career. It's a massive promotion for football around Limerick. They're up against it the next day but I mean they just need to go up there and have a big performance in Croke Park on national television, that's what we are looking for the next day."