Niall Geary will make his first championship start for Cork in Sunday's Munster football semi-final against Clare.

Formerly a county player with his native Waterford, Geary plays his club football with Nemo Rangers and this season made the switch to the Cork football panel.

The corner back will be joined in Cusack Park, Ennis by three other championship debuts, all of whom are in the Cork attack. Emerging minor James Masters joins Conor McCarthy and Nicholas Murphy in the halfforward line.

John Hayes and Fintan Gould also get their first starts in the full forward line alongside Micheál Ó Croinín. The only other selection of note is the positioning of Derek Kavanagh at midfield alongside Graham Canty.

Last season Kavanagh was Cork's regular full back, but that position now rests with Seán Levis. Owen Sexton is also preferred to Noel O'Leary in the half back line, where he is joined by the experienced Anthony Lynch and Martin Cronin.

Manager Billy Morgan enjoyed a reasonably satisfying league run that included two wins and two draws, but that run finished with a disappointing defeat to Donegal.

Clare manager John Kennedy has found himself with a growing list of injured players in the period since the quarter-final win over Waterford on May 29th. Among those likely to be unavailable are Conor Whelan, Brian Considine, Donal O'Sullivan and Timmy Ryan - although Kennedy hopes toname a team this evening.

Galway have delayed naming their team to face Leitrim in the Connacht semi-final as manager Peter Ford continues to sweat over the fitness of team captain Padraic Joyce. Joyce has not been able to train since suffering an ankle injury in a club game a fortnight ago.

Defenders Richie Fahey and Clive Monaghan along with midfielder Joe Bergin have already been ruled out.

The death has taken place of Tipperary footballer William (Bunny) Lambe from Old Bridge, Clonmel. Lambe represented the county at senior level from 1943 to 1953. He also won county senior football medals in 1943 and 1945 with the 10th Battalion, with Commercials in 1948 and with Old Bridge in 1952.

CORK (SF v Clare): K O'Dwyer; N Geary, S Levis, G Murphy; E Sexton, A Lynch, M Cronin; G Canty, D Kavanagh; J Masters, C McCarthy, N Murphy; J Hayes, F Gould, M Ó Croinín.