By John Harrington

Limerick’s promotion to Division 2 of the Allianz Football League for the first time since 2007 is proof positive that with hard work and proper planning significant progress is attainable.

As a county they’ve put a big emphasis on football coaching and development in the last eight years and are now reaping the rewards.

Back in 2014 they established an newly structured Limerick Football Academy and recruited a cadre of former inter-county footballers to coach U-14, U-15, and U-16 squads.

According to Limerick Football Committee Chairperson, Gerry Phillips, the real key to the county’s rising graph is that they appointed “fabulous people” to run the Academy and deliver coaching to clubs and schools.

Limerick senior hurling team trainer, Paul Kinnerk, heads up the Academy and oversees the coaching plan at all age-groups.

Every Saturday the Academy coaches and players convene at Limerick IT to do technical work on the pitches and S&C coaching with the Academy’s Head of Athletic Performance, James O’Leary.

Former Limerick stars Stephen Lavin and Muiris Gavin work alongside Kinnerk in the Academy, while three more former Limerick footballers, Ian Ryan, Pa Ranahan, and Seanie Buckley, are the Primary Schools, Post Primary Schools, and Third Level Colleges Development Officers.

According to Phillips, it’s the hard work carried out by that coaching brains trust behind the scenes combined with the astute senior football team management of Billy Lee that has given Limerick football such significant momentum.

“Where we find ourselves at the moment is testament to the hard work by the management and the players and the backroom staff over the last number of years," he says.

“Before that as well a lot of work has gone in with development squads. It comes as no surprise to us really because of the hard work of everyone involved,” says Phillips.

“The Limerick team players, management, and backroom staff have been excellent, as have all the coaching and games development staff.

“While we didn't expect to be promoted this year, we knew it was on the cards in the not too distant future.

“It's very satisfying, we're over the moon really. You don't always get what you deserve in the GAA, you have to really earn it, and these boys did and I'm delighted for them. They're a great bunch of guys, both players and management. it's a pleasure for me to have been involved with them.

“Because it's not an overnight success, we're confident we can sustain the progress that has been made so far. It's taken us a few years to build this up and now we're confident we can sustain it going forward.”

Phillips believes that Saturday’s Allianz Football League Division 3 Final against Louth in Croke Park is a priceless marketing opportunity for Limerick football.

Hurling has always been the more high profile of the two codes in the county, but he’s confident that a successful football team would quickly get a strong backing too from the public.

“We're getting a great response already,” he says. “A rising tide lifts all boats so getting promoted to Division 2 will have a knock-on effect for next year. That'll help the clubs as well to promote the game within the clubs as well with underage and the adult scene.

"The publicity they're going to get now in Division Two next year is going to be massive. It's very hard to quantify the knock-on effect it will have. We reckon it's going to be massive for football development within the county.

“Limerick is a mad sporting county and they're only dying to have a team to go and support. It was very evident on Sunday against Fermanagh, you could really hear it, and it made an awful difference to the team when they went into a small bit of a lull for a while. The crowd lifted them again and brought them back out again.

“The way they finished the game was in no small way to the crowd got behind them.”

Phillips sees no reason not to be optimistic that Limerick football will continue to go from strength to strength in the coming years.

With a new generation of talented young footballers emerging from the well-run Academy, they’re now building on very solid foundations and the age-profile of Billy Lee’s team suggests they still have significant room for improvement.

“The vast majority of the players are in their mid twenties or younger so this team will be there for a good while,” he says.

“And you'd be hoping there will be more success to follow because there's huge potential in the team and they're totally committed to the cause of Limerick football.

“It's fabulous that they are getting their reward now and next Saturday it'll be great to see them get to play a game in Croke Park. That would have to inspire Limerick people to support the team and they deserve all the support they can get.

“Next year then well be playing the likes of Kildare, Dublin, Cork and Meath in Division Two so that's a huge change to what we're used to. This is a great step up for us to be making and a great promotional opportunity for Limerick football.

“You have to start at the bottom and work your way up and this bunch of guys have done that. They put their shoulder to the wheel when times were tough and it wasn't trendy to play football for Limerick.

“Billy Lee and his management team turned the thing around and I'm delighted for him because he's a true and true Limerick football person. Just thrilled for him really and the lads involved with him.”

With Cork and Kerry on the other side of the draw, you can be sure that a resurgent Limerick will view this year’s Munster Championship as a huge opportunity.

They haven’t been in once since 2010 when they ran Kerry to three points. The year previously they were beaten by just a single point by Cork in the Munster Final, and they also had close runs against Kerry in 2004 (beaten after a replay) and 2003.

That was a special era for Limerick football, and Phillips is hopeful they will soon have big championship days to savour again.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he says. “Judging by the character of the team and the way they approach every challenge I don't think it will be too far in the distant future before we're back to those sorts of days again.”