Donal O'Grady has quit as joint-manager of the Limerick senior hurling squad after a row with the county board.

In a statement to the Irish Examiner, O'Grady and co-manager TJ Ryan said that they were "appalled" at reports that a recent Limerick county board meeting heard the duo had "apologised for abysmal displays" during the league, after Limerick failed to win promotion from Division 1B.

O'Grady has resigned in protest against that "untrue" assertion, which the management duo believe undermined their position.

Ryan will stay on as manager "in the interests of continuity", with the first game in Limerick's defence of their Munster championship title, against Tipperary, less than six weeks away.

“Limerick hurling co managers TJ Ryan and Donal O’Grady sought an immediate meeting with county board officers when certain statements at a recent board meeting appeared in the press,” said the statement.

“One such statement informed the meeting that the co-managers ‘apologised for the abysmal’ displays during the league at a previous league review meeting. This statement was simply untrue.

“Furthermore the co-managers were appalled and alarmed that such statements would be made as they completely undermined the efforts of the players who had worked tremendously hard over the winter to advance the cause of Limerick senior hurling.

“The co-managers sought a retraction of the ‘apology’ statement and clarification of other statements at this joint meeting between the officers and managers on April 11 [three days after the board meeting].

"At the outset of this meeting chairman, Oliver Mann, admitted without issue, that no apology was ever tendered to the officers by the management.

“It was decided to issue a statement on the Limerick GAA website the following day withdrawing the untrue statement, while clarifying others. This did not happen.

“Ten days have elapsed since. No clarifications and no retraction of the untrue statement have been made public as agreed.

"As no official retraction or clarification was published, national press coverage has continued to report the untrue statement, which has further undermined the management and playing panel.

“Donal O'Grady wishes to state that regretfully at this point in time he has no other option but to step down forthwith from his position of coach and co-manager.

“The chair of the board and the players and other members of the management team have been informed.

"As upcoming fixtures are in place, TJ Ryan will continue in his managerial role in the interim, in the interests of continuity.”

O'Grady's second coming with Limerick was ratified last November when he and TJ Ryan were named as joint managers, succeeding John Allen.

Together they presided over an Allianz League campaign where the Shannonsiders failed to get promotion from Division 1B.

They did, however, reach the divisional quarter-final, where they lost out to Galway.