TEAM NEWS:RUMOURS OF Seán Óg Ó hAilpín's decline have been exaggerated. Ó hAilpín was last night named in his usual wing back position on the Cork team for Sunday's Munster hurling clash with Tipperary, despite being replaced 15 minutes into the second half of their league final defeat to Galway.
Manager Denis Walsh must have been considering several positions on the Cork team, but in the end settled on the familiar, giving a vote of confidence to all his seasoned players, resisting any debutants, and in fact making just two switches from the team that lined out against Tipperary in the same fixture last year.
Eoin Cadogan and Tom Kenny have recovered from injury to start at full back and midfield respectively, although Michael Cussen doesn’t quite make it – and is named among the substitutes.
Walsh didn’t want to risk starting him as Cussen is still recovering from a broken bone in his hand sustained in that league final, although he is likely to feature at some stage.
John Gardiner and Ronan Curran join Ó hAilpín in the half- back line, with Jerry O’Connor named in the crucial centre forward position, with Niall McCarthy to his left, and Aisake Ó hAilpín at full forward. It remains to be seen if they actually line out that way.
The two changes from the team of this time last year has Brian Murphy starting at corner back instead of Conor O’Sullivan, and Cathal Naughton starting at midfield as an indirect replacement for the retired Timmy McCarthy.
Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy will announce his team after training this evening.
Championship debutant Thomas McCann will lead the Antrim attack for their Leinster quarter-final against Offaly at Parnell Park.
McCann starts at centre forward in a team that shows seven changes to that which lost to Offaly in a relegation play-off last year (but which didn’t actually alter Antrim’s championship status).
Gareth McGhee comes into the goalkeeping role, Cormac Donnelly at full back, and Neal McAuley at wing back, while up front right Eddie McCloskey and Neil McManus are also drafted in.
One notable absentee is forward Liam Watson, who opted out of the panel last week citing personal reasons.
Offaly are without defender Stephen Egan (shin splints), forward Ger Healion (broker finger) and midfielder Brendan Murphy (back).
However Kilcormac/Killoughey attacker Daniel Currams has been passed fit despite a hand injury.
In football, Karol Mannion returns from injury to the Roscommon team for Sunday’s Connacht quarter-final in London.
Manager Fergal O’Donnell hands championship debuts to Stephen Ormsby in the full back line, Cathal Dineen at centre back and Paul Garvey at centre forward.
CORK (SH v Tipperary):D Óg Cusack; S O'Neill, E Cadogan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpín; T Kenny, C Naughton; B O'Connor, J O'Connor, N McCarthy; K Murphy (Sarsfields), A Ó hAilpín, P Horgan.
ANTRIM (SH v Offaly):G McGhee; K McGourty, C Donnelly, A Graffin; N McAuley, J Campbell, C Herron; P Shiels, K Stewart; E McCloskey, T McCann, J Scullion; S McNaughton, N McManus, K McKeegan.
OFFALY (SH v Antrim):Brian Mullins; David Franks, Paul Cleary, Michael Verney; James Rigney, David Kenny, Derek Morkan; Rory Hanniffy, Kevin Brady; Daniel Currams, Joe Brady, Derek Molloy; Brian Carroll, Joe Bergin, Shane Dooley.
ROSCOMMON (SF v London):G Claffey; S McDermott, P Domican, S Ormsby; S Purcell, C Dineen, M O'Carroll; M Finneran, K Mannion; D Keenan, P Garvey, C Cregg; J Rogers, D Shine, G Heneghan.
