William O’Donoghue Limerick split season inter-county player demands, Digi Mart USA News: William O’Donoghue says the split season offers “very little reprieve” to inter-county players and, in general, punishes the most successful players. The Limerick centre-back, who was named this year’s Gaelic Writers’ Association Hurling Personality of the Year, sponsored by Clayton Hotels, stresses that John Kiely’s All-Ireland-winning set-up prioritises rest.
However, as Limerick head out on their team holiday to the United States and the Dominican Republic on Friday, O’Donoghue points out that Shane O’Brien will miss out, as Kilmallock face Ballygunner in a Munster semi-final on Sunday week.
“I think the split season works in the sense that it is better to, let’s say, when you are in with Limerick, give 100% to that. But what I do think is the split season has also given the players very little reprieve.
It’s just nonstop.
“The way the calendar falls, and even the way Shane O’Brien now can’t go on the team holiday. Sometimes it’s like the players who are most successful get punished as the year goes on, because they all run into one another, and then suddenly it’s November, December, and you’re back.
You’re potentially back in with your inter-county panel.
“So, while the split season is great and gives you a bit more flexibility to concentrate on what you’re doing, I just think the demands on the players are probably allowing for more demands on players, which ultimately is a bit of a struggle as well.”
O’Donoghue speaks from experience, having endured long seasons in 2022 and 2023, when he played into late November with Na Piarsaigh following Limerick’s All-Ireland-winning seasons, before turning to collective pre-season, which commences this year on November 20.
“Yeah, there’s absolutely no time at all. People say, ‘Will you enjoy your week off?’ and it’s just accepted that if you play GAA, and it’s obviously a good complaint, but it’s the norm to get a week or two off a year.
“Now, in fairness, we’re very lucky in the Limerick set-up that they’re very conscious if we need to be looked after. I guess I just mean that on the whole, the schedule doesn’t take into account, and as per the schedule, you should just be rolling from one into the next.”
Na Piarsaigh’s final defeat to Kilmallock last Sunday week means O’Donoghue, who turns 32 next month, will be that bit fresher, although the break was inadvertent.
“If you’re lucky enough to get the county final, you know you might get a number of weeks off, but straight away, I guess as a player, you probably do have one eye on when you’re going back in and getting back into some bit of a routine and just building your body back up to being able to deal with what’s going to be thrown at us when we do go back.”
O’Donoghue, who earned his third All-Star last week, is bemused by how the younger generation on the Limerick panel, fellow All-Stars Adam English (23), Aidan O’Connor (24) and Cathal O’Neill (24), have been perceived from the outside this past season.
“They’ve been incredible talents, and I think people are acting like it is only this year they’ve got good. Cathal was nominated for an All-Star in ’24.
He started a Munster final in ’23, and they’ve been incredible within our group and training. So we’ve been well aware of their exploits and how good they really are.
“This year, Cathal managed to stay injury-free, which had been an issue for him, and just managed to get into the form we knew he was capable of. And then you have the likes of Adam English, Aidan, Shane O’Brien, and there are several more there in Colin Coughlan, and once they were given a chance and got in, they were never going to let up.”
O’Donoghue also hinted that his club-mate Peter Casey should have won his second All-Star last Friday.
“He’s had some pretty good years, but I think this was probably his best year. I thought he was probably one of our most consistent players if you go through all the games, in Munster and in the All-Ireland.
“The amount of scores he got in big games, coupled with his game intelligence and work-rate, makes him a really important player for us. To see him get back to a place where he could actually deliver his best performance, I think, was the most pleasing aspect.”
The Gaelic Writers’ Association awards, sponsored by Clayton Hotels, recognise the extraordinary contribution of current players and managers. William O’Donoghue is the 2026 GWA Hurling Personality of the Year.
In a team of many leaders, he has developed into one of Limerick hurling’s most important players, with his switch from midfield to centre-back in recent seasons pivotal to Limerick’s return to dominance in 2026, with league, Munster and All-Ireland titles won in a clean sweep.
