By Jackie Cahill

Limerick GAA could be rocked to its foundations tonight as speculation mounts that county board treasurer Donal Morrissey is on the verge of resigning his post.

Shannonside sources have indicated that Morrissey is preparing to deliver the bombshell news to colleagues at this evening’s management committee meeting, scheduled to take place at Munster GAA HQ in Castletroy.

It is understood that Morrissey is deeply dissatisfied with procedures surrounding the proposed reappointment of county board secretary Mike O’Riordan, whose current tenure is due to expire shortly.

O’Riordan was appointed as Limerick GAA’s first full-time secretary in 2009 and has been in the position for almost seven years.

Under GAA rules, officers vacate positions after five years but full-time officials can be employed for seven-year stints.

The measures taken to push through a fresh tenure for O'Riordan have not met with Morrissey’s approval.

It is believed that Morrissey has indicated to county board chairman Oliver Mann that if O’Riordan is rubber-stamped as secretary again, he will step down in protest.

Morrissey’s stance leaves fellow top table officials in something of a quandary and indications from reliable Limerick sources indicate that he is unhappy that the secretary’s position has not been advertised publicly.

These developments have the potential to create a major split in the Limerick board and tonight’s gathering looks set to be a heated affair.

Morrissey is a highly-regarded professional, a chartered accountant by trade who has been working extremely hard with Commercial Manager John Loftus to transform the finances of the county board in recent years.

Morrissey was unavailable for comment last night but could break his silence following this evening’s meeting.

Limerick GAA is no stranger to controversy in recent years, with their minor hurlers denied a legitimate point in the 2013 All-Ireland semi-final by a HawkEye error.

Later that year, senior boss Tom Ryan left aggrieved after he was snubbed for the intermediate hurling team manager’s role.

Just a few months later, former Cork supremo Donal O’Grady quit as Limerick’s joint senior team manager following disagreements with the county board.

But the fact that high-ranking Limerick officials are at loggerheads over the manner in which one is seeking reappointment is something of a new departure.