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Bennis decides not to start Limerick captain Reale in final

Limerick captain Damien Reale has been left out of the Limerick team to face Waterford in Sunday's Munster hurling final in Thurles…

Seán Moran GAA Correspondent
Thu Jul 05 2007 - 01:00

Limerick captain Damien Reale has been left out of the Limerick team to face Waterford in Sunday's Munster hurling final in Thurles.

The corner back from Hospital Herbertstown had been expected to recover from the concussion suffered in the second replay of the semi-final against Tipperary and be able to take his place, but when the team was announced last night Reale hadn't made the cut.

"It was decided that he hadn't recovered sufficiently," said county PRO Denis O'Carroll. "Damien has been named on the bench, but there's been no decision yet on whether he'll be able to play a part."

This is a blow for the team and especially for the captain, who has been one of the mainstays of the team in recent years. The captaincy will be taken over by centre back Brian Geary.

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Reale is replaced by Peter Lawlor, who takes over at right wing back with Mark O'Riordan switching to right corner. The only other change from the team that clinched the county's first final berth in six years sees the veteran Barry Foley come back in at left corner forward in place of Kevin Tobin.

Limerick's defeated semi-final opponents Tipperary, who have already another match under their belts, make five changes to the side that narrowly overcame Offaly in the first round of the All-Ireland hurling qualifiers for the trip to play Dublin this Saturday.

Current Players All Star Paul Curran makes his long awaited reappearance after recovering from a broken toe for what will be his first appearance of the summer, in place of the injured Diarmaid Fitzgerald.

Shane Maher makes his senior championship debut at left wing back and team captain Benny Dunne, Lar Corbett and Willie Ryan all come back into the starting line-up. Shane McGrath, James Woodlock, Pa Bourke and Liam Cahill revert to the bench.

Meanwhile, Mayo manager John O'Mahony has made seven changes to the team that was comprehensively beaten by Galway in the Connacht first round last May.

Injury rules out Keith Higgins, illness Enda Devenney and Pat Harte is suspended. They are replaced by David Kilcullen, Trevor Howley and David Brady.

Pierce Hanley is one of two teenagers selected in a new spine. He comes in at centre forward in place of Kevin O'Neill and his colleague from the 2005 minor side that reached the All-Ireland final, Kilcullen, is named at centre back.

David Clarke is back in goal as replacement for Kenneth O'Malley, who was injured playing in a club match and although recovered had missed a good deal of training.

Other changes see David Heaney move to centrefield in place of James Nallen, whose indirect replacement is Aidan Higgins and Ger Brady's place at full forward going to Barry Moran.

Kildare's Kevin O'Neill reverts to the full back position for the qualifier game with Roscommon.

O'Neill has started the last six competitive games for Kildare at midfield and his place will be taken by full back David Lyons, who partners Ronan Sweeney.

Ross Glavin, who played at midfield against Meath, misses the tie because of injury, as does Tadhg Fennin who is indirectly replaced by Jason Phillips.

Tyrone full back Cormac McGinley has emerged as a major doubt for the Ulster football final on Sunday week.

McGinley is suffering from a groin problem, and is facing a race against time to be fit for the clash with Monaghan at Clones.

The GAA has announced the 2006 winners of its annual media McNamee Awards. They will be presented at a function in Croke Park on 22nd July. Best Local Radio

2006 McNAMEE AWARDS(awards will be presented at Croke Park on July 22nd): Best Local Radio Programme - A Lifetime 'til Sunday, Mid West Radio. Best Website - Doheny GAA Club, Dunmanway, County Cork (www.dohenygaa.com). Best Club Media Production - 120 Years of GAA in Passage, by Matt Ahern. Best County Final Programme - Kildare Football Final. Best County Yearbook - CLG Aontroma. Provincial Media Award - Roscommon Herald, All Ireland Minor Football Final Souvenir Supplement. National Media Award - John Fogarty, Mail on Sunday. Special Merit Award - Red Hand View (Tyrone). Best Photograph on a GAA Theme - John Kelly, Clare Champion (photograph of a tearful, young Clare supporter). Hall of Fame Award - John Campbell, Sunday Telegraph.

KILDARE(SF v Roscommon): E Murphy; E Callaghan,K O'Neill, A MacLochalinn; A Rainbow, M Hogarty, E Bolton; R Sweeney, D Lyons; J Kavanagh, J Doyle, K Donnelly; M Conway, J Phillips, P O'Neill.

DOWN(SF v Meath): M McVeigh; J Clarke, D Rooney, K McGuigan; R Murtagh, B Grant, M Cole; D Gordon, J Lynch; J McGovern, A Carr, R Sexton; D Hughes, P Downey, B Coulter.

LIMERICK(SF v Louth): S Kiely; D Carroll, J McCarthy, A Lane; T Cahill, P Browne, P Ranahan; T Carroll, J Galvin, G Collins; J Ryan, S Buckley; M Crowley, D Horan, M Reidy.

ARMAGH(SF v Derry): P Hearty; E McNulty, B Donaghy, A Mallon; A Kernan, K McGeeney, K McKeever; P McGrane, K Toner; P McKeever, S Kernan, M O'Rourke; S McDonnell, D Marsden, O McConville.

MAYO(SF v Cavan): D Clarke; A Higgins, L O'Malley, T Howley; P Gardiner, D Kilcullen, T Mortimer; D Heaney, D Brady; BJ Padden, P Hanley, A Dillon; C Mortimer, B Moran, A Moran.

ANTRIM(SH v Laois): R McGarry; A Graffin, K Kelly, S Delargy; M McCambridge, J Campbell, C Herron; K McKeegan, B Herron; P McGill, N McManus, M Herron; S McNaughton, J McIntosh, P Shiels.

TIPPERARY(SH v Dublin): G Kennedy; E Buckley, D Fanning, P Curran; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony, S Maher; H Maloney, B Dunne; F Devanney, R O'Dwyer, L Corbett; S Butler, E Kelly, W Ryan.

LIMERICK(SH v Waterford); B Murray; M O'Riordan, S Lucey, S Hickey; P Lawlor, B Geary (capt.), M Foley; D O'Grady, M O'Brien; N Moran, O Moran, M Fitzpatrick; A O'Shaughnessy, B Begley, B Foley.