Limerick County Board explain reasons they voted for the Munster football seeded draw

LIMERICK GAA County Board officials have explained their reasons for voting in favour of the Munster Senior Football Championship seeded draw.

Last week Munster GAA confirmed that the highest two ranking teams in the Allianz Football League are to be placed on opposite sides of the semi-final draw for the following year's Munster Senior Football Championship - Cork and Kerry fill the positions at present. 

At this Tuesday night's County Board meeting, Limerick GAA secretary Michael O’Riordan said the executive officers decided to support the vote for a seeded draw as with that option is a series of initiatives to develop football in the county.

He explained that €100,000 will be shared between Limerick, Tipperary, Clare, and Waterford under the seeded draw arrangement, with each county receiving €25,000. The funds will be distributed at the end of August or early September.

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According to O’Riordan, this funding will allow Limerick to field an all-Limerick colleges team in the Corn Uí Mhuirí - Munster GAA Post Primary Schools Senior A Football Championship.

Other potential initiatives include appointing a full-time football coaching officer (GDA) for the county.

"We looked at it from a developmental process as previously outlined to the football committee which would be that we would be able to invest money in a full time football GDA. The views of management and players was that they weren't in support of (the seeded draw) - again that was discussed.

"From a strategic viewpoint for the board, there is in particular the mechanism of a full-time football officer and the review of implementing an all-Limerick colleges Corn Uí Mhuirí team and other football projects."

The secretary outlined his view that backing the seeded vote was good for the "future development of Limerick football".

Limerick County Board had proposed to the Munster Council that the seeded draw be postponed until 2028. However, the council rejected this suggestion, and Limerick ultimately voted in favour of the seeded draw, which will now come into effect in 2026.

The secretatry told the meeting in the Woodlands House Hotel that several clubs in Limerick had written and contacted him to express disappointment with the county board’s vote - noting that they (clubs) were not consulted before the Munster Council vote was taken.

Limerick GAA chairman Seamus McNamara later acknowledged that, in hindsight, the county board should have convened a county committee meeting to discuss the matter.

"In hindsight, we should have called a county committee meeting on it. We're all part of the executive and we do our best to make the right decisions, we won't always get them right. We do our best certainly to get them right, it lies with me and all the executive that we didn't call a county commitee meeting," said McNamara.