Kearns: This was always my last year
The curtains came down on Liam Kearns' six-year reign as manager of the Limerick footballers in Castlebar yesterday, as the Shannonsiders bowed out of the All-Ireland qualifiers.
Having trailed 0-4 to 0-6 at the break, Limerick managed to get back level by the 57th-minute before the Bradley brothers, Paddy and Eoin, struck four unanswered points for a 0-13 to 0-9 Derry win.
Kearns - who said when being reappointed for a two-year spell in 2003: "If we haven't won some silverware at the end of 2005 it will be time to let someone else have a go" - resigned from his post following full-time.
Kearns' native Kerry have dogged his Limerick side in recent years, beating them five times over the course of the last five championships. Indeed the Treaty county are without a Munster SFC title since 1896, the same year of their last All-Ireland SFC triumph.
Kearns explained: "This was always going to be my last year. I was almost gone last year but we decided to stay on for another year and this is it now.
"We're just a little bit short of what we need to beat the top teams and we have to accept that. But I hope someone comes in and takes it on now. It's important to get over this Munster final thing. If we won a Munster title it would only be what these players deserved.
"They've done things Limerick footballers have never done. They have won a Munster under-21 title and played in an All-Ireland under-21 final. They've won three McGrath Cups which no Limerick team did before. They've played in Division 1 of the league which again no Limerick side did before and played in successive Munster finals. So there's a lot to be proud of.
"I will without doubt say that they are the best Limerick team but at the end of the day the goal I set from them at the start was to win a Munster title. We've just missed that and we have to accept it now."
