GAA president Seán Kelly received a special merit award last night for outstanding service to the GAA. The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Vodafone Ireland chief executive Teresa Elder presented the award, a specially commissioned sculpture based on the All Stars theme.
The award marks Kelly's three-year term in office, which will be remembered for the amendment to Rule 42 that allows international rugby and soccer to be played in Croke Park next year.
Other achievements include setting up the Hurling Development Committee, which led to a revamped hurling championship and introduction of the Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard cups.
Kelly's career in administration began in 1975 at the age of 23 when he was elected East Kerry chairman of Bord na nÓg. He became the first Kerryman to be elected GAA president in 2002.
Meanwhile, officials of the women's Gaelic Football Association and the AFL will discuss the staging of a women's International Rules series against Australia when they meet in Singapore next week.
Women's Gaelic Football president Geraldine Giles and chief executive Helen O'Rourke lead a party of 36 players on the All Stars tour, which is being hosted by the local Gaelic Lions club.
Two meetings with senior figures of the AFL have been set up, the first on St Patrick's Day when preliminary discussions on an International Rules series will be held. If productive, the first series could take place in October.
Galway, looking for their first win in the National Hurling League, will be without Kevin Broderick for Saturday's game against Laois at Pearse Stadium. Broderick broke his thumb in the defeat to Limerick and will be out of action for several weeks.
Limerick have made three changes in personnel for Sunday's visit by Kilkenny. Stephen Lucey returns in the unfamiliar role of centre forward, with Conor Fitzgerald coming in alongside him, while Brian Geary takes over at centre back. TJ Ryan, who took over at full back in Lucey's absence, retains that position. Out go Denis Moloney, Neil Collins and Niall Moran.
TIPPERARY (SH v Antrim): B Cummins; P Curran, P Maher, M Ryan; E Corcoran, C O'Mahoney, D Fitzgerald; C Morrissey, L England; J Carroll, D Fanning, B Dunne; J O'Brien, M Webster, D Egan.
LIMERICK (SH v Kilkenny): B Murray; D Reale, TJ Ryan, M Foley; O Moran, B Geary, M O'Riordan; P O'Grady, D O'Grady; M O'Brien, S Lucey, C Fitzgerald; A O'Shaughnessy, B Begley, M Keane.
LIMERICK (SF v Clare): S Kiely; S Gallagher, J McCarthy, P Browne; C Mullane, D Reidy, S Lavin; J Galvin, J Stokes; P Ahern, T Carroll, S Buckley; M Crowley, J Murphy, M Reidy.
IRISH WOMEN'S FOOTBALL TOURING PARTY
2004 ALL STARS: Cliodhna O'Connor (Dublin), Christina Reilly (Monaghan), Helena Lohan (Mayo), Rena Buckley (Cork), Louise Keegan (Dublin), Annette Clarke (Galway), Lisa Coohill (Galway), Bernie Finlay (Dublin), Mary Nevin (Dublin), Cora Staunton (Mayo), Valerie Mulcahy (Cork, '04 and '05), Ruth Stephens (Galway, '04 and '05), Clare Egan (Mayo, '04 and '05).
2005 ALL STARS: Una Carroll (Galway), Angela Walsh (Cork), Leona Tector (Wexford), Briege Corkery (Cork), Aoibheann Daly (Galway), Gemma Fay (Dublin), Juliette Murphy (Cork), Geraldine Doherty (Meath), Deirdre O'Reilly (Cork), Lynsday Davey (Dublin), Niamh Fahy (Galway), Lorna Joyce (Galway).
ADDITIONAL PLAYERS: Sue Ramsbottom (Laois), Sharon Treacy (Longford), Bronagh O'Donnell (Armagh), Michaela Downey (Down), Katrina Connolly (Sligo), Louise Tully (Roscommon), Simone Gilabert (Kildare), Mary O'Donnell (Waterford), Nadine Doherty (Donegal), Christina Heffernan (Mayo), Grainne Ni Fhlatharta (Kerry).
