Mike Moriarty and Maurice Dunworth stepped down from their respective roles as chairman and secretary of the Kerry LGFA on Sunday evening, according to Radio Kerry. Moriarty and Dunworth were in the positions less than a month.
The news came less than a week after a statement from the Kerry LGFA said that minor manager Jonathan Griffin and his management team would have their contracts terminated with immediate effect. Griffin had been appointed on a two-year term last year.
The timing of this announcement was particularly curious. It was made on the week of Kerry's opening game of the Munster Championship against Tipperary. The game was the culmination of eight months preparation by players and management.
How Griffin and his team were informed of their removal was also strange, it was done so by email. It was a decision which the Glenbeigh man was not going to take sitting down.
Last week, he launched an appeal which resulted in him taking charge for Sunday's game against Tipp. The appeal was made on the basis that the decision to remove Griffin and his team was not made at a full meeting of the county board.
The Kerry LGFA did not make that appeal easy. Speaking to Balls.ie, Griffin said:
I have yet to receive a reply to my appeal which I lodged with the Secretary of Kerry LGFA last Wednesday.
I had to hand my €100 appeal fee to a member of the Kerry LGFA Executive myself as the Secretary never replied with a postal address to send my €100 appeal fee cheque to by registered post.
Kerry won yesterday's game by eight points. Originally scheduled to be played in Brosna, there was a late change of venue due to a mix-up by the county executive.
Munster Minor Ladies "A" C/ship Kerry 3-13 to Tipp 3-05. Tremendously Proud of these Minor Girls who performed under Real Pressure today. Beir bua agus beannacht
— Jonathan Griffin (@Griffjonster) February 18, 2018
Owing to the efforts of the management team and the kindness of Firies GAA club, the game went ahead in Kerry.
"It was left up to the minor management team to arrange an alternative venue as there was a clash of fixtures at the original venue arranged by the Kerry Executive," said Griffin.
"Munster LGFA put the onus on the minor management team to secure a venue or they said they would seek an alternative venue outside the county. So we could have been playing in Tipperary today only for Firies GAA Club giving us their pitch at short notice."
There was further disarray at the game with no Kerry team named in the match programme.
According to Griffin, once he was sacked on Sunday, the responsibility for submitting the team fell to the Kerry Executive and Graham Shine, who had been appointed as caretaker manager. This should have been done by Tuesday.
Late on Wednesday, Griffin received a request from the Munster LFGA secretary for the Kerry team. He submitted it early on Thursday morning but at that point, it was too late.
"The players and their parents were very disappointed yesterday not to have a match programme souvenir of the day they represented Kerry in the Munster Minor LGFA Championship," said Griffin.
On a week when the management team of the Kerry Minor Ladies side is withdrawn - just days before today's Munster C'ship game with Tipperary this is the match day programme - Incredibly disrespectful to players and their families - @kerryladiesfoot @Kerry_Official Whats going on? pic.twitter.com/ei7tC7H5Tl
— Graham Clifford (@GrahamJClifford) February 18, 2018
On Sunday, Mike Moriarty told Radio Kerry why he had resigned from the position of chairman.
"I volunteered for the role of Chairperson so as a County Executive could be formed, that the ladies and girls could play their county football. Any decision made on my behalf always had the best interest of KLGFA at heart.
"At this stage my mental and general well being are most important to me, my wife and my young family. I want to wish all the ladies and girls that wear the green and gold all the best in the future."
Maurice Dunworth expressed a similar sentiment when addressing his resignation as secretary.
"It was made impossible for me to carry out the work I wanted to do. I stand by any difficult decisions myself and members of the executive made, they were not taken lightly.
"I cannot comment any further due to the very difficult position I find myself in. I wish the KLGFA well in the future."
