Limerick tight-lipped about speculation Liam Sheedy is being lined up to replace John Allen

Limerick County Board officials are remaining tight-lipped about the increasing speculation Liam Sheedy is being lined up to replace John Allen as the county's next senior hurling manager.

Allen stepped down on Tuesday night, after two years in charge, and the board immediately set-up a five-man committee to seek out a successor: Sheedy’s name has since emerged as their preferred candidate, the former All-Ireland-winning manager with Tipperary also thought to be agreeable to taking on the position.

Sheedy stepped down from his role with Tipperary after leading them to the 2010 All-Ireland title, beating Kilkenny in an epic final, but since then has kept a close eye on the game as a pundit for RTÉ.

Limerick have made no secret of their desire to find a high-profile replacement for Allen: “There are no restrictions,” Limerick chairman Oliver Mann said during the week, the committee charged with finding the replacement being county secretary Mike O’Riordan, treasurer Donal Morrissey and the independent trio Jim Woulfe, Paudie Fitzmaurice and Damien Quigley.

In the meantime former Limerick hurler Ciarán Carey declared on RTE's Championship Matters on Thursday night that this committee "have a fella vetted and picked already", although stopped short of declaring who exactly that man was. However, Limerick press officer Eamonn Phelan told The Irish Times last night no one person has been decided at this stage. What is certain is the next board meeting in Limerick is not until October 8th, and by then Sheedy's name will be either in or out of the hat.