Limerick senior footballers will 'need to hit the ground running' in 2026 says Jimmy Lee

DURING an online meeting of the Munster Council last Monday, it was agreed to postpone the seeding of the Munster Senior Football Championship until 2027. 

“It leaves an opportunity for the Munster council and the GPA to talk, they have been in discussion all along, hopefully it will give them time to iron the detail of it, I'd be happy enough in theat regard. The fact they are engaging with eachother and they are communicating with eachother is important,” Jimmy Lee told Leader Sport.

Munster GAA had previously confirmed that, beginning in 2026, the two highest-ranked teams in the Allianz Football League would be placed on opposite sides of the draw for the following year’s championship. However, that change has now been postponed until 2027. This means Clare and Limerick could secure a semi-final bye next spring, provided they are promoted from Division 3 and Cork are relegated from Division 2.

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Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary will compete in this year's Munster SFC quarter-finals on April 11. The winners of those two quarter-finals will face Kerry or Clare in a Munster semi-final on April 25 and the provincial final will take place on the weekend of May 10. 

“It does give us a chance and an opportunity to get to a Munster semi-final, we'll see how things go,” added Lee.

The Limerick senior football manager was impressed by the standard of the club championships this year in the county.

“We saw a lot of games as a management team, it's like every year we will invite a few new players. We will have a look at them and see where it goes from there.”

Mungret St Paul's, Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan Desmonds and Ahane will all now switch their attention to the provincial championships. Senior county champions Mungret St Paul's face Dingle in Munster SFC semi-final on Sunday at 1pm in Austin Stack Park, Tralee. Intermediate county champions ABK Desmonds take on Aghabullogue in Munster IFC semi-final at a Cork venue on Sunday. Meanwhile, Ahane meet Buttevant in Munster JFC semi-final in Kildorrery, Co.Cork on Saturday at 1pm. 

“We would see it as free shot for those clubs but those clubs will be looking to win those semi-finals. It's difficult, but all three clubs will be well prepared, there's nothing easy there. Hopefully they can all put in a performance and the result will take care of itself.”

Iain Corbett has announced his inter-county retirement and Josh Ryan looks set to be on the sidelines after picking up an ACL injury.

“It's like everything, there'll be others within the squad that will make the step up. Even the lads that were in there first year last year, we would be hoping that they would push on.”

November 21 the Limerick senior footballers k will be able to officially resume training on the pitch.The Shannonsiders will face will face Wicklow, Clare, Laois, Sligo, Down, Westmeath and Fermanagh in Division 3 of the Allianz League in 2026.  Lee feels playing Division 3 football will be a step up.

“It will be step up, it is a competitive league on paper, it's a competitive league, every game will be fairly competitive and whatever way the league fixtures pan out, we need to hit the ground running.”

The Newcastle West native believes his team's aim will be continue winning games consistently in 2026. Before the National League, the Limerick senior footballers will begin their McGrath Cup campaign at home on Friday January 2 against Tipperary at 7pm. Lee's charges will then travel to Cork on Sunday January 11 at 2pm.

“The big thing for us really is to be consistently winning games but at the same time we will set targets for ourselves, you've to be realsitic aswell. Once we finalise the squad, then we will sit down all of us and map it out, in terms of what we want to achieve this year,” outlined Lee.