Former Limerick hurling captain Damien Reale has quit inter-county hurling in protest at the sweeping changes to the Shannonsiders’ panel made by manager Justin McCarthy.
McCarthy has controversially cut 12 players from his squad, including star names like Mark O'Riordan, Stephen Lucey and Mark Foley, leading to major unrest within the county.
The chairman of the county board Liam Lenihan has gone as far as to hold meetings with some of the axed hurlers and offered an apology to those who discovered their omission from the squad through the media.
‘I know the effort all players make for the county team and I apologise for any hurt caused to them,’ Lenihan said.
‘On behalf of the county board I apologise if the players were offended in any way. If we caused any hurt to any player, I would say sorry,’ he told the Limerick leader.
However, this has done little to quell some of the anger within Limerick hurling circles and Reale may not be the last to quit, with several other senior players believed to be considering their future.
