John Kiely has clarified that his public support for Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes during his trial was not intended as an endorsement of Hayes’ criminal actions. The Limerick Circuit Criminal Court concluded Hayes’ case on Wednesday, assigning him a two-year suspended sentence for a violent disorder charge. In addition, Hayes was also instructed to pay €10,000 as compensation, but he managed to sidestep a prison term.
Kiely was present at the trial in January to offer a character reference for Hayes. Speaking at The Cahir House hotel during the 2024 Munster SHC launch, Kiely explained that his presence was to support Hayes, but not to excuse his conduct. He expressed relief at the case’s conclusion and look forward to the future, a sentiment he believes is shared by Hayes.
The trial’s events overshadowed Limerick’s league campaign and the final judgement was delivered just three days prior to their semi-final league match against Kilkenny. Kiely acknowledged this situation was challenging for all those involved, but emphasised that the burden lay primarily with the individuals directly implicated. He expressed hope that all parties are relieved at this chapter’s closure.
Due to injury, Hayes, despite his active participation in Limerick’s victory over Dublin this year, will be omitted from Saturday’s Division One league semi-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. According to Kiely, Hayes, who has been diligently training in recent months, is currently nursing an ankle injury.
The hurling is going well for him in the recent months, despite the occasional hindrances caused by injuries. Recovering from an injury can be challenging, especially when the focus is on continuous improvement. It’s not an uncommon situation, as currently we’re dealing with several injured players. Preferring to be engaged in training to enhance their strength and presence, they find the gym and physiotherapy sessions less appealing. They’re eager to get back on the training field, like the rest.
At this point, Limerick is keen on redirecting the spotlight to the performances on the field. A triumph over the Cats might enable the defending champions to contend in another league decider. As Clare and Tipperary face off in the other league semi-final on Sunday, a Limerick-Clare league decider could potentially take place two weeks prior to their clash in the first round of the Munster SHC.
Although pundits may argue that it’s not ideal, we aim to excel in every game. Kiely states that we don’t dwell on such theories. In his view, every team strives to win in every match without any reservation. We’ll be giving our all to win every incoming game, with our attention now on the semi-final on Saturday night. We’re only thinking about the final if we qualify, but for now, our primary goal is to advance from the semi-final. Considering anything beyond is not within our current outlook.
Nonetheless, the Limerick manager, implies that the schedule would benefit from excluding the league semi-finals, offering teams an additional week to gear up for the championship. He believes that an extra week’s gap between competitions would be ample.
“Do we genuinely require semi-finals? Frankly, my belief is that they are unnecessary. The league, after all, determines the superior team with numerous aspects that enable teams to set themselves apart. Factors such as head-to-head competitions, score variance, goals accumulated, goals conceded, points gained, and points lost – an extensive collection of elements contribute to distinguishing between teams.”