Gary Kirby and Richie Bennis will front a new Limerick hurling interim management team in the wake of Joe McKenna's shock resignation. The two former county stars, together with current under 21 manager Tony Hickey and outgoing senior selector Liam Lenihan, were proposed to take responsibility of the Limerick team at a county board meeting on Tuesday night, June 20. Kirby, who played in the 1994 and 1996 All-Ireland finals, recently said that he had thought about putting his name forward as a future county manager but only when he felt the time was right. Bennis, who won an All-Ireland medal in 1973, is a brother of former Limerick manager Phil Bennis and like Kirby, is a member of the Patrickswell club. County chairman Denis Holmes confirmed that Kirby and Bennis had come forward and offered their services. "They knew of our plight and were anxious to help out in the short term. We did not wish to rush into appointing a manager. We felt it was best to allow the dust settle and return to the management issue later in the year," he said. Meanwhile, Holmes had hit back at a claim made by former manager Tom Ryan that county sponsor JP McManus interfered in team affairs. "Nothing could be further from the truth," he stressed. "JP never got involved in internal matters." Tweet

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