GAELIC GAMES:SPECULATION THAT Graham Canty could lose his place for Cork's All-Ireland qualifier against Down on Saturday have proved unfounded as the big Bantry Blues man was last night named in his familiar full back position.
With Ciarán Sheehan ruled out with the cruciate injury sustained in the Munster final loss to Kerry, Fintan Goold comes into the forward line in the only change from the team that started in that defeat.
Eoin Cadogan is again named on the bench for what is a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final.
Off the field, the managerial merry-go-round is already in full swing as Cork and Galway look towards potential changes.
Cork clubs have been given two weeks to come up with proposals on how the county’s next senior hurling management team should be chosen, with the term of Denis Walsh and his selectors officially ending following the All-Ireland qualifier loss to Galway.
A closing date of August 2nd has been set for submissions to the county board, so that clubs can be furnished with the options to be voted upon at the next board meeting, on August 16th.
Walsh was chosen by a three-man committee, chosen by the GAA’s Central Council, after the unprecedented circumstances prevailing in the county following Gerald McCarthy’s resignation after a players’ strike. But it remains to be seen if Walsh will win the support of the clubs for an extension to his term
Tomás Ó Flatharta’s reign as Galway football manager could end as early as next week when county officials hold an inquest into their dreadful season. Galway won just one game in the league (away to Armagh) and were ultimately relegated to Division Two, and then bowed out of the championship with losses to Mayo in the Connacht semi-final and to Meath in the qualifiers.
Ó Flatharta was appointed for three years last autumn, but an annual ratification process is part of that agreement.
No such worries for Glenn Ryan, who has been given a fourth year in charge of the Longford footballers. The Longford County Board moved quickly to offer the Kildare man a new term after the team’s impressive showing in 2011, which included winning the Division Four title and pushing Tyrone all the way in the qualifiers.
Meanwhile, midfielder Donal O’Grady looks set to miss Sunday’s hurling quarter-final with Dublin with a shoulder injury sustained against Antrim at Parnell Park.
O’Grady’s shoulder joint was badly damaged, and he’s rated as no better than “50-50” for starting in Sunday’s game in Thurles.
Teenage forward Kevin Downes and midfielder Paul Browne are also other injury concerns, but should be recovered in time.
It’s also been confirmed that all four teams will wear alternative colours for Saturday’s Croke Park qualifier double-header. Cork will again wear the white jerseys used in last year’s All-Ireland final against Down, who this time have registered a new black second strip; and Kildare will wear green, the colour of Leinster, while Derry change to a red jersey with white hoop.
CORK (SF v Down): A Quirke; J O’Sullivan, G Canty, M Shields; N O’Leary; J Miskella, P Kissane; A O’Connor, A Walsh; F Goold, P Kelly, P O’Neill; D Goulding, D O’Connor, P Kerrigan.
