GAELIC GAMES CHAMPIONSHIP 2008 NEWSALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS Kerry begin the defence of their title without 2006 player of the year Kieran Donaghy and under-21 captain Killian Young. Both players have been named among the substitutes as Kerry face Clare in Sunday's Munster football championship semi-final in Killarney.
Donaghy sustained a knee injury playing for his club Austin Stacks a fortnight ago while Young, who led Kerry to the under-21 All-Ireland last month, dislocated his shoulder in training recently. Tommy Griffin comes in at wing back in place of Young while Tommy Walsh, another key member of the under-21s, takes over from Donaghy at full forward.
Walsh is from the Kerins O'Rahilly's club and featured at midfield on the 2006 minor team that lost the All-Ireland final to Roscommon after a replay. He is the son of former Kerry full back Sean Walsh.
After several months out through injury, Paul Galvin takes his familiar berth of right wing forward and will captain the Kerry footballers in 2008.
Colm Cooper, another notable absentee for most of the National League as he was in America on a three-month break, returns to the full-forward line alongside debutant Walsh and Bryan Sheehan.
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has made three changes to the Ulster champions' line-up ahead of tomorrow evening's quarter-final replay against Down in Newry. John Devine replaces Pascal McConnell as goalkeeper, PJ Quinn is named ahead of Damian McCaul at left corner back and Ciarán Gourley comes in at centre back, indirectly replacing midfielder Colin Holmes.
Conor Gormley moves out of defence to form a new midfield partnership with Enda McGinley, who has recovered from a head injury. Full back Justin McMahon and wing forward Colm Cavanagh have also shaken off knocks from the 2-8 to 2-8 draw in Omagh.
Davy Harte is retained at right wing back despite having his nose broken by the elbow of Down's Martin Cole. Referee David Coldrick produced a yellow card for the incident but Cole was subsequently suspended for four weeks. He attended a Central Hearings Committee (CHC) meeting in Croke Park last night to seek a reprieve.
The CHC meeting and concerns around the availability of Down midfielder Dan Gordon (suspected broken thumb) meant manager Ross Carr did not announce a team last night. It was also revealed yesterday that assistant manager DJ Kane may face further sanction after delivering the half-time speech in the dressingroom last weekend despite being currently under suspension.
Limerick manager Mickey Ned O'Sullivan has made four changes to the side that beat Tipperary for Sunday's Munster football semi-final against Cork at the Gaelic Grounds. Shane Gallagher, Jim O'Donovan, John Cooke and Ger Collins come into the side in place of Stephen Walsh, Tom Cahill, James Ryan and Dermot Phelan.
KERRY (SF v Clare):D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan, P Reidy; T Ó Sé, A O'Mahony, T Griffin; D Ó Sé, S Scanlon; P Galvin (capt), Declan O'Sullivan, E Brosnan; C Cooper, T Walsh, B Sheehan.
TYRONE (SF v Down):J Devine; R McMenamin, J McMahon, PJ Quinn; D Harte, C Gourley, P Jordan; C Gormley, E McGinley; B Dooher (capt), B McGuigan, C Cavanagh; M Penrose, S Cavanagh, C McCullagh.
LIMERICK (SF v Cork):S Kiely; D Carroll, J McCarthy, S Gallagher; P Brown, S Lavin, P Ranahan; J Galvin, J O'Donovan; S Kelly, J Cooke, S Buckley; G Collins, K O'Callaghan (capt), I Ryan.
CLUB/COUNTY TASK FORCE:Chairman - Liam O'Neill (Laois), Michael Burns (Monaghan), Des Cullinane (Cork), Simon Moroney (Clare), John Murphy (Sligo), Pat Toner (Louth), Dara McGarty (Sligo), Aidan Brennan (Mayo), Dermot O'Malley (Dublin).
RULE 11 TASK FORCE:Chairman - Danny Murphy (Ulster Council), Jarlath Burns (Armagh), Jack Devanney (Down), Pat Henderson (Kilkenny), John Costello (Dublin), Anthony Daly (Clare), John Costigan (Tipperary), Cathal Moore (Galway), John Maughan (Mayo), Dessie Farrell (players' representative).
