There are no surprises in the Limerick team to face Tipperary on Sunday in Thurles. No debutants but plenty of hurlers with underage All-Ireland medals. Despite all the controversy earlier this year, they look strong enough to challenge any county on any given Sunday.
TJ Ryan will begin the championship at the edge of the square but as a full forward rather than a full back. Andrew O'Shaughnessy is back on form after a quiet 2004. Ollie Moran captains them from wing back. On the bench the quality list continues with Pat Tobin and Paudie O'Dwyer back, the latter having recovered from a broken collarbone.
Limerick have a solitary championship victory, over Kerry, in the last three summers and enter their fourth championship with a fourth manager after Joe McKenna replaced Pad Joe Whelahan earlier this season. One immediate advantage of the new regime was Stephen Lucey and Conor Fitzgerald were allowed rejoin the panel as dual players.
The Tipperary management will put Lar Corbett, Micheal Webster, Paddy O'Brien and Martin Maher through their paces tonight before finalising a team. Colm Morrissey has been passed fit but Paul Ormonde, Tom King, John O'Brien and Hugh Moloney are out.
In football, Wicklow manager Hugh Kenny gives six players championship debuts against Kildare on Sunday in Croke Park. This includes the midfield pairing of David Dillon and James Stafford, along with Brendan Daly, Kevin Manning, David Smullen and Paul Earls. The selectors were mulling over the final corner-forward slot last night.
The experienced Brendan Ó hAnnaidh has regained a place alongside brother Darragh in the half-back line, while goalkeeper Robert Hollingsworth is captain.
Much like last Sunday's meeting between Offaly and Louth, the contest pits a solid Division One county against a struggling Division Two B side. The difference being Wicklow beat Louth by 17 points in a challenge match over the May Bank Holiday weekend. They also accounted for Carlow and Waterford in recent warm-up games, although Kenny would have preferred stiffer challenges.
"I feel we are in better shape this year than last, even though we went better in the league then. We have 24 in the panel because that's what I wanted going into the championship, and out of that group 12 are new. I know we only beat Tipperary and Waterford and drew with Louth in the league, but we could've just as easily beaten Meath or Cavan.
"We didn't get the challenge matches we were looking for recently, but the lads are looking forward to the local derby."
Kenny can supply the inspiration here as he played fullback on the last Wicklow side to beat Kildare, in the Leinster championship of 1990. The fear-factor element of Croke Park, and facing a better pedigree of player, isn't something Kenny was prepared to dwell on. "I know Division Two B isn't the ideal pitch ahead of championship football, but the lads are intercounty footballers and want to be on this stage."
Kildare manager Padraig Nolan has delayed naming a team due to injuries. Andrew McLoughlin picked up a knee injury in a recent challenge match against Kerry, to join Karl Ennis (hamstring) and Ronan Sweeney (hip) on the physio's table. Derek McCormack has another four weeks of rehab on a shoulder injury, making the return of veterans Dermot Early and Anthony Rainbow all the more valuable. Early recently returned from overseas duty with the United Nations. "Wicklow are a new team, all full of energy and we expect a good performance, full of spirit in what will be a real local derby atmosphere," said Nolan.
Considering Kildare's experience and recent success at under-21 level, it is difficult to see an upset. After losing their first two games of the league, against Galway and Wexford, Kildare produced some excellent performances to only miss a semi-final place by virtue of a one-point defeat to Armagh in their penultimate game.
Dublin's opponents, Longford, have held off announcing their side until this afternoon. There are fitness concerns surrounding Paul O'Hara, Niall Sheridan, Paul Barden and All-Ireland winner with Dublin at under-21 Donncha Corcoran.
LIMERICK (SH v Tipperary): T Houlihan; D Reale, S Lucey, M Foley; O Moran (capt), B Geary, P Lawlor; D O'Grady, P O'Grady; C Fitzgerald, N Moran, A O'Shaughnessy; D Ryan, TJ Ryan, D Sheehan.
WICKLOW (SF v Kildare): R Hollingsworth (capt); C Hyland, B Daly, T Burke; K Manning, D O hAnnaidh, B O hAnnaidh; D Dillon, J Stafford; D Smullen, L Glynn, T Harney; P Earls, W O'Gorman, AN Other.
Setanta Sports will be transmitting deferred coverage of the Dublin Club Football Championship and not live coverage as was indicated in yesterday's report. On Friday, May 20th, Parnell Park hosts a double header with UCD playing Na Fianna in the first match at 6.30pm, while holders Kilmacud Crokes face 2003 champions St Brigid's at 7.45pm.
The UCD and Na Fianna match will be screened at 10pm on Friday night, with the second game on Saturday at 5.45pm and at 9.45. Both games will be replayed on Monday with the St Mark's versus St Oliver Plunketts Eoghan Ruadh shown at 11pm. On Tuesday, the Naomh Mearnog against Whitehall Colmcille game will be televised at 10.30pm.
The management committee of Monaghan County Board has decided to appeal against the 12-week ban imposed on Rory Woods following his red card against Derry in the football league semi-final. Having viewed the video of the incident the committee felt they had grounds to lodge an appeal as the evidence of kicking is inconclusive.
