THE Limerick County Board stand to lose a three year, £200,000 sponsorship package unless Croke Park officials give the go ahead for the Mid Western Health Board to have their drug free message emblazoned on the Limerick playing gear.
Two months ago the health board approached the county board offering to come in as sponsors. The stipulation, however, was that their message on the jerseys should read "Drug free - Cul". However, under GAA sponsorship rules, counties are only allowed to put the name of the sponsor - and not their slogan - on their jerseys.
Next Sunday, officers of the board will meet Croke Park in an attempt to resolve the dilemma. The Mid Western Health Board last night said that they would not be interested in going ahead with their package if they were confined to having just their name on playing gear.
County board PRO Sandra Marsh said that talks were ongoing with the Health Board. However, Limerick officials accept that the feedback from Croke Park is not very encouraging.
In his final address to the Tipperary County Board convention at the weekend, outgoing chairman Sean Fogarty hit out at the "unwarranted ridicule" of him and his family in the Babs Keating autobiography in the Babs Keating autobiography. Fogarty said that he was being "scapegoated" for Keating's resignation as manager of the Tipperary hurling team in 1994.
"I believed that Babs and I had an excellent working relationship. My mistake seems to have been to have accepted his resignation as a mature and well thought out decision rather than as a platform for a `Bring Back Babs campaign'," he added.
Competitive inter county action resumes this weekend with a full programme of 16 matches in the National Football League scheduled for Sunday. The top matches in the first division will feature joint leaders Kildare, who play Derry in Newbridge, and Cork, who are at home to Cavan. The other Division One matches see All Ireland champions Meath away to Donegal in Ballybofey and Kerry at home to Tyrone in Killarney.
Meath will be able to call on their players just back from their American trip, but at least three of their All Ireland winning squad are suffering from a variety of knocks. Among those is Colm Brady who has still not shaken off a knee injury.
Brendan Reilly is still not fully fit after undergoing surgery for a groin injury, while Barry Callaghan is still troubled by a hamstring problem.
Mayo football suffered a setback last weekend when midfielder David Brady broke his leg in a challenge game against UCG. The break is believed to be serious and Brady will be out for a minimum of three months. Doubts are already been cast about his championship participation this summer.
Eight players, four each from football and hurling and representatives of all four provinces, have been honoured by Allied Irish Banks for their excellence during the Provincial Club Championships. The players will receive their awards at a function in Dublin on February 13th.
The hurling awards go to Brian Feeney from Connacht champions Athenry, Brian Lohan from Munster champions Wolfe Tones, Joe Dollard from Leinster champions Camross and Donogh McNaughton from Ulster champions Cushendall.
In football, the winners are Kevin Staunton from Connacht champions Knockmore, Colm Hayden from Leinster champions Eire Og, Gerard Murphy from Munster champions Laune Rangers, and Oisin McConville from Ulster's Crossmaglen Rangers.
