Sport

New faces the order of opening exchanges

As the GAA season prepares to come crawling out of hibernation it's a case of out with the old and in with the new for many county…

Ian O'Riordan reports
Thu Jan 04 2007 - 00:00

As the GAA season prepares to come crawling out of hibernation it's a case of out with the old and in with the new for many county panels - with a share of recalls thrown in. All four provinces begin pre-season football competitions this weekend, and Ulster's big two, Tyrone and Armagh, have released panels for their Dr McKenna Cup campaigns.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte staged several rounds of trials before Christmas and announced a 31-man panel, around half of which are newcomers. With the likes of Brian Dooher, Brian McGuigan, Conor Gormley, Colin Holmes, Ciarán Gourley, and John Devine still absent through injury, Harte has looked to former minor and under-21 players to carry their latest campaign - at least for now.

These include Seán Cavanagh's younger brother Colm, who was listed to play with Jordanstown this weekend yet opted to line out for his county. Among those returning is Cookstown defender Paul McGurk, a regular Tyrone player until sustaining a leg injury in 2002, as well as Errigal Ciarán's Paul Quinn.

Tyrone host Queen's University in Omagh in section B, while Armagh host St Mary's in Crossmaglen in section A. Manager Joe Kernan is without his Crossmaglen players as they prepare for their All-Ireland club semi-final next month, while missing through injury are Ciarán McKeever (hamstring), Ronan Clarke (knee) and Brian Mallon (knee).

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In Leinster, Dublin's O'Byrne Cup campaign begins next Tuesday with the interesting game under the lights of the Clan na nGael Fontenoys pitch in Ringsend, DCU the opposition.

In the meantime though an impressive line-up has been announced for Saturday's annual Dubs Stars clash, which starts at 2pm at the Naomh Mearnog grounds in Portmarnock.

Team captain Colin Moran makes a welcome return to left half back having missed most of last summer through injury, and is joined in that line by last summer's acting captain Bryan Cullen and Paul Casey. Dublin's two All Stars will also start - Stephen Cluxton in goal for Dublin and Alan Brogan at centre forward for the Dubs Stars.

There is no sign, however, of the former rugby international Eric Miller, who was rumoured to be in line for a call-up after returning to Ballyboden St Enda's last year and showing up for last month's challenge against Louth.

The only notable absentee from the Dublin panel is defender Peadar Andrews, who announced his retirement last autumn.

Elsewhere, the new Meath manager, Colm Coyle, will head to Drogheda to take on Louth this Sunday, and that game is likely to mark the return of the former All-Ireland-winning full back Darren Fay. Though he didn't feature last year under Eamonn Barry, Fay has been tempted back by Coyle and has been a regular at Meath training in recent weeks.

New Laois manager Liam Kearns is also poised for his first competitive outing, against Kildare at Portarlington. Among the players he has back on board for 2007 is forward Barry Brennan, who missed most of last year after opting out after the latter stages of the league, prompted by the recurrence of a back injury.

TYRONE - McKenna Cup panel: Dermot Carlin (Killyclogher), Christopher Colhoun (Pomeroy), Colm Donnelly (Clonoe), Niall Gormley (Trillick), Davy Harte (Errigal Ciarán), Kelvin Hughes (Donaghmore), Kevin Hughes (Killeeshil), Paul Marlow (Eskra), Ryan Mellon (Moy), Mickey Murphy (Galbally), Owen Mulligan (Cookstown), Aidan McCarron (Fintona), Cathal McCarron (Omagh), Damien McCaul (Donaghmore), Pascal McConnell (Newtownstewart), Ciarán McCrory (Galbally), Damien McDermott (Errigal Ciarán), Seán Cavanagh (Moy), Colm Cavanagh (Moy), Brendan Boggs (Owen Roes), Mickey McGee (Loughmacrory), Cormac McGinley (Errigal Ciarán), Enda McGinley (Errigal Ciarán), Tommy McGuigan (Ardboe), Paul McGurk (Cookstown), Ryan McMenamin (Dromore), Stephen O'Neill (Clan na nGael), Martin Penrose (Aghyaran), Paul Quinn (Errigal Ciarán), Paul Rouse (Brackaville), Declan Treanor (Dungannon).

ARMAGH - McKenna Cup panel: C McKinney, A Hearty, B Donaghy, JP Donnelly, DP Duffy, S Forker, P Loughran, T McClellan, G McReesh, P McCreesh, S McDonnell, K McGeeney, P McGrane, C McKeever, P McKeever, E McNulty, M Mackin, C Toner, M O'Rourke, G Swift, P Toal, M Ferris, N McSherry, K O'Rourke.

DUBLIN (SF v Dubs Stars): Stephen Cluxton (Parnells); David Henry (Raheny), Barry Cahill (St Brigid's), Stephen O'Shaughnessy (Lucan); Paul Casey (Lucan), Bryan Cullen (Skerries), Colin Moran (Ballyboden St Enda's); Ross McConnell (St Oliver Plunkett's/ER), Darren Magee (Kilmacud Crokes); Kevin Bonner (St Brigid's), Declan Lally (St Brigid's), Ray Cosgrove (Kilmacud Crokes); David O'Callaghan (St Mark's), Conal Keaney (Ballyboden St Enda's), Jason Sherlock (Na Fianna).

DUBS STARS: Stephen Gallagher (UCD); Willie Lowry (St Vincent's), Paddy Navin (UCD), John McCarthy (UCD); Paul Griffin (Kilmacud Crokes), Ger Brennan (St Vincent's), Coman Goggins (Ballinteer St John's); Pat Gilroy (St Vincent's), Seán Brady (UCD); Billy Sheehan (UCD), Alan Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett's/ER), Austin O'Malley (UCD); Dermot Connolly (St Vincent's), Tomás Quinn (St Vincent's), Bernard Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett's/ER).