Team news:Cork hurling manager Gerald McCarthy has broken with his usual procedure for the second time this championship season by delaying his team announcement until tomorrow.
The last time McCarthy stalled on team selection was due to the appeal process Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Donal Óg Cusack and Diarmuid O'Sullivan were engaged in ahead of the Munster semi-final against Waterford.
This time the delay is to accommodate the six senior panellists involved in tonight's Munster under-21 hurling final against Waterford at Walsh Park.
There are no injury problems at present - besides Niall McCarthy, who returned to his usual centre forward role in place of Timmy McCarthy after 44 minutes of last Sunday's draw with Waterford.
The Cork seniors playing tonight are Cathal Naughton, who came on late in the game at the weekend, corner back Shane O'Neill, left-half forward Patrick Cronin and unused substitutes Kevin Canty, John Halbert and Eoin Murphy.
Waterford have no frontline seniors involved, but veteran forward Paul Flynn is part of the management team.
Cork County Board chairman Mick Dolan confirmed a request to the Munster Council for a postponement was refused.
"There is no more we can do about it. It's just fixture congestion. When you are advancing like our teams are, you are under pressure."
Dolan also expressed a preference for a Cork double-header in Croke Park this weekend to save supporters' money. The footballers play Sligo on Saturday in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
"It's a long journey from Castletownbere to Dublin. We're not just living outside of Naas. We're a long way away. Our lads from west Cork are only outside the county and they are halfway to Dublin, so it does pose a big problem to our supporters.
"The happy scenario would have been if Meath and Tyrone played on Sunday with the hurling semi-final between Kilkenny and Wexford, and the replay goes on Saturday with our footballers.
"Our minors' (hurling) semi-final (against Dublin this Saturday) should also have been in Croke Park, but the circumstances didn't allow so we have to go to Portlaoise and that's it. The price of success I suppose."
Meanwhile, Limerick manager Richie Bennis will face no further sanction for his viewing position for last Sunday's All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Clare.
Bennis was serving a one-match ban, but was seen near the substitutes' bench in the second half and in the dressingroom after the game.
"The suspension only applies to the pitch enclosure, he was in the stand," said GAA Head of Games Pat Daly. "Sitting in the first row behind the subs and entering the dressingroom is not a breach of a sideline ban."
Waterford will name their team tomorrow, while Wexford midfielder Rory McCarthy is expected to recover from a chest injury ahead of their semi-final against Kilkenny.
Brian Cody's team will not be released until Friday.
WESTMEATH SH (v Kildare): M Briody; N Gavin, P Greville, C Jordan; P Dowdall, D McCormack (capt), B Connaughton; J Shaw, P Clarke; Ronan Whelan, Brendan Murtagh, Andrew Mitchell; B Kennedy, D McNicholas, D Carty.
