Eircom League’s Crowe earns international cap

Givens did something that Mick McCarthy had failed to do in 68 games in charge: give a player from the Eircom League a senior cap. Glen Crowe of Bohemians didn’t look out of place in the attack as he became the first player from the domestic League to be capped since 1986. Immediately after arriving back in Dublin with the official squad midday on Thursday, Crowe drove to Derry to help Bohs win 3-0 at The Brandywell and extend their lead at the top of the premier division.
Manchester United Irish star John O’Shea, who played his first full game for the Republic in Athens last Wednesday, says the secret behind his recent success could be his mother’s cooking. United manager Alex Ferguson recently said that the Waterford-born player had returned “a man” from the summer break.
But 21-year-old O’Shea says that the improvement to his physique cannot be put down to pumping iron.
“I didn’t do any special gym work during the summer,” O’Shea said. “It must have been my mam’s home cooking adding on a few pounds. I think, I’ve just filled out.”
But life is not going as well for another Irish international, 23-year-old Richard Sadlier, who was expected to replace Niall Quinn in the Irish attack. Sadlier, who made his senior debut against Russia last February, looked like he would make the World Cup squad, but for hip operation, has now had a second operation on his troublesome hip. Before his second operation in October, Sadlier was told by the surgeon that he could expect to get arthritis at an early age and might need a hip replacement by the time he is 40.
“I thought to myself, this is not happening,” Sadlier said. “I’m only 23, but then the alternative to a second operation was to give up the game and I didn’t want to do that without a fight.”
Now Sadlier, who plays his club football for Millwall, is hoping to be back training by the end of January.
Meanwhile, the woes continue for Keith O’Neill, who was considered one of our brightest prospects when Mick McCarthy took over as manager in 1996. O’Neill, who won the last of his 13 caps against Macedonia in October 1999, is still only 26, but he has been troubled by a litany of injuries and is currently out injured with a fractured bone in his foot. Last week, O’Neill was taking part in a charity event for his club Coventry when he broke a bone in his hand while taking part in a punch bag competition.

OFFALY NAME SELECTORS
Mike McNamara, who was confirmed as Offaly’s new hurling manager last week, has named his three selectors. Pat Delaney, Paddy Kirwan and Ger Fogarty
will assist the no-nonsense Clareman, who has been given a three-year contract. McNamara who worked as a trainer with Ger Loughnane in Clare and in Galway last year with Noel Lane, is Offaly’s seventh manager in six years.
Meanwhile, Dublin are looking for a new hurling manager following the decision last week by former Kilkenny star Kevin Fennelly to step down. The Dublin County Board have advertised for a director of hurling, who will have a say in the appointment of a replacement for Fennelly. Nicky English, who
quit Tipperary a few weeks back, could be in the running.
The new Antrim football manager is P.J. O’Hare. He was previously in charge of the Glensmen from 1991-94.

CLARE SELECT “SPARROW”
Ger “Sparrow” O’Loughlin has been named as a selector with the Clare senior hurling team for next year. O’Loughlin, a star on the Clare team in the
1990s, replaces John Minogue on manager’s Cyril Lyons’ backroom team.
Meanwhile, Clare goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald is set for a busy year. The Sixmilebridgeman, who already coaches Clare’s under 21 team, has also been
named as trainer of the Limerick Institute of Technology team. Fitzgerald says that his long-term ambition to manage the Clare senior team.
“Hurling is my life and long term, yes, I would love to have a crack at the Clare senior job,” he said.

McKENNA GETS APOLOGY
On the day that the Tyrone County Board confirmed the appointment of Mickey Harte as senior football manager, they issued a public apology to former
joint manager Eugene McKenna. A few weeks back, McKenna and Art McRory were reappointed joint managers. Then McRory asked for break due to a viral
infection. However, rather than ask McKenna to continue temporarily on his own, the County Board dissolved the partnership and started the search for a successor.
McKenna admitted that he was surprised at the apology. “There is a bigger picture there, but it wouldn’t be for the greater good of Tyrone if I said anything more,” he said.

CATS MAKE IT 32
Women’s Gaelic football, which was started in the 1970s, can now say that they truly have a 32-county league. Gaelic football is not strong in Kilkenny, a county where hurling and camogie rule, and The Cats were the last team to enter the women’s league. In fact, it is a club team, Railyard, who are representing the county. Railyard are based in the village of Moneenroe, close to the Laois border, and they are the only all-football club in Kilkenny. The Kilkenny women started their league campaign with a loss to Offaly.

McENIFF EYES BOARD POST
Brian McEniff, the man who guided Donegal to All-Ireland football success in 1992, is now bidding to become chairman of the county board. McEniff has been proposed by his club Bundoran to challenge current chairman Danny Harkin at the annual convention on Dec. 8.
“Yes, I am interested and I think I have something to offer,” McEniff said. “If I’m successful, I would like to bring in Martin McHugh as team manager.”
Mickey Moran quit as manager and moved back to his native Derry. Donegal has been beset with objections and court cases in recent months. And Harkin upset a few people recently when he came out and said that GAA players should be paid, but the remainder of the County Board officers quickly disassociated themselves from their chairman’s comments.