Irish set sights on Boston for U.S. Cup

Manager Brian Kerr will use the Brazil game to try out more young talent. But it’s unlikely that exciting Glasgow Celtic midfielder Liam Miller will make his senior debut. The Corkman, who signed a pre-contract agreement with Manchester United last week, is suffering from a groin injury and is not due back for another six weeks. A similar injury prevented Miller from making his senior debut against Canada in November.
Brazil last visited Dublin in May 1987. The game was played on a Saturday afternoon and the attendance was only 20,000. This time around should see a full house at Lansdowne Road. A Liam Brady goal gave the Republic victory back in 1987, which was some compensation for the 7-0 hammering in Uberlandia back in May 1982. However, the Irish team in 1982 was very much under strength. The only other meeting between the Republic and Brazil was in Rio de Janeiro in May 1974 when Brazil won 2-1.
The Republic will also have a friendly against the Czech Republic on March 31 in Dublin. Ireland then travel to play Poland on April 28 and there will be a game in Dublin on May 27 — 24 hours before the Irish squad travel to Boston for the U.S. Cup. And the FAI have also lined up a friendly against Croatia in Dublin on Aug. 18, which will probably be Kerr’s last opportunity to finalize his team before the 2006 World Cup campaign gets under way.

McCRAE DUE ROUGH RIDE
Gloucester’s Duncan McCrae is unlikely to get a warm reception when he lines out against Munster in the Heineken Cup at Thomond Park on Saturday. McCrae, you may remember, was the Aussie who inflicted 12 punches to the face of Ireland’s Ronan O’Gara in the game between the British and Irish Lions game and NSW Waratahs in 2001. Since then McCrae has moved to Gloucester and he lined out against O’Gara last Saturday at Kingsholm in a game Gloucester won. McCrae said he hoped to apologize to O’Gara, but he is likely to feel the wrath of the Munster crowd on Saturday.

IFA TO SELECT NEW BOSS
The IFA have drawn up a short list of candidates who they will now interview to find a replacement for manager Sammy McIlroy. All the IFA would say was that all the candidates on the their list have a Northern Ireland background. That would suggest that the list of interviewees includes Jimmy Nicholl, Jimmy Quinn, Lawrie Sanchez and Gerry Armstrong.
“We now have a list of people that we wish to interview,” IFA President Jim Boyce said. “That process will begin on Jan. 19 and I am confident that we will have a new manager by the end of January.”
The new manager’s first game in charge will be against Norway at Windsor Park on Feb. 18. The North then travel to play Estonia in Tallinn on March 31. In addition the North have arranged an end of season tour when they play Jamaica on May 30, St. Kitts and Nevis on June 2, and Trinidad and Tobago on June 5.
And the Irish FA are hoping that the inclusion of England in Northern Ireland’s World Cup group will attract their first major sponsor. IFA Secretary David Bowen said: “We have had inquiries already for the England game, but we are searching for an overall team sponsorship not simply for one game, but for the whole qualifying program.”

CATS DO PLAY FOOTBALL
Kilkenny’s poor showing in senior football is an embarrassment for Nicky Brennan, the Kilkennyman who is chairman of the Leinster GAA Council. Kilkenny’s rivals claim that the county’s apathy toward football is one of the contributing factors to the Cats’ dominance of hurling. The Kilkenny senior football team have not played in the Leinster championship since 1982 and they dropped out of the National League five years ago. Nowadays their only senior involvement is in the O’Byrne Cup and 10 days ago the Kilkenny senior football team were beaten by the Dublin Institute of Technology in the first round. The county’s footballers will not play another senior game for 12 months.
Brennan nevertheless defended his county’s football record. “People have the idea that there is no football played in Kilkenny, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said. “In fact, I would say there is a lot more football played in Kilkenny than there is hurling in Louth or Longford and I am just using those counties as an example. But my biggest fear would be that strong football counties would look at Kilkenny, form the view that they are putting all their resources successfully into hurling and ignore the promotion of hurling themselves.”

HOOPS, SHELS MAY DO DEAL
Shamrock Rovers, who have had severe difficulties finding the funding the finish their new stadium in Tallaght, South Dublin, could be about to get help from an unusual source. Shelbourne, one of the Hoops’ great Dublin rivals are reported ready to sell their own Tolka Park ground and move in with Rovers in Tallaght. Shels would be expected to get big money for Tolka, which would almost certainly be used by a developer for apartments or houses.

O CINNEIDE NAMED SKIPPER
After a few problems in recent years Kerry have wasted no time in appointing a senior football captain for the year ahead. Dara O Cinneide, from county champions An Gaeltacht, will lead the Kingdom in Jack O’Connor’s first season in charge. Kerry are one of the few counties still relying on the old tradition of county champions nominating a captain. But of course this can cause problems. Three years ago Kerry changed captains on the eve of their heavy defeat by Meath when Glenflesk’s Seamus Moynihan took over from Eoin Brosnan of Dr. Crokes. Last year county champions Kerins O’Rahilly’s didn’t have a regular on the team and nominated Michael McCarthy from beaten finalists Kilcummin. At the Kerry county convention held before Christmas, the Templenoe club proposal that the captain be appointed by the team management was defeated, despite a passionate speech by Templenoe delegate Pat Spillane.
Meanwhile, in Kildare where they rotate the captaincy, Dermot Earley takes over from Anthony Rainbow.

DUAL COMPROMISE SOUGHT
When Tommy Lyons took over as Dublin senior football manager two years ago one of the first things he did was to outlaw dual players. Lyons gave dual star Shane Ryan an ultimatum: play either hurling or football. Ryan opted for football, but following a recent exhibition game with the Dubs hurlers he’s anxious to give hurling a go once again. Now new Dublin hurling manager Humphrey Kelleher plans to sit down with Tommy Lyons and try and work out a compromise whereby dual stars like Ryan and Conal Keaney can play hurling and football.
“The fact is that I don’t have the luxury of having 30 players better than Shane Ryan<' the Waterford-born Kelleher said. "If I did then there wouldn't be a problem. And if my job is to do the best for Dublin hurling then I have to try and get the best players."

HARTY GETS NOD
Still no news on a permanent replacement for Dominic Corrigan, who quit as Fermanagh senior football manager in December. Just before Christmas the county board appointed Sean O’Reilly and Sylvester Mulrone as caretaker managers.
Waterford have appointed Billy Harty as their new football manager. Harty, from the Ardmore club, has coached at underage level, but this is first senior appointment. He replaces Corkman Denis Walsh.
Meanwhile, Michael Galvin has been confirmed as the new Sligo hurling manager. Galvin, from the Calry-St Joseph’s club, was previously in charge of the county team for a spell in the ’90s.
And in London former Down player John McPartland is the new football manager. He takes over from Chris Lloyd.

PHELAN PLANS FINAL STINT
Former Republic of Ireland international Terry Phelan is back in England after being released by U.S. club Charleston Battery. Now the 36-year-old full-back is looking for a short-term contract in England before retiring at the end of the season.
“Money is not really an issue for me,” Phelan said. “I just want to finish my career in England. I am still as fit as I’ve always been. The American season ended in November, so I am rested and keen to get going.”

DUBS TO STICK WITH PARNELL
Dublin have resisted the temptation to move their opening game in the National Football League against Tyrone on Feb. 1 from Parnell Park to Croke Park. Last year when the Dubs met reigning All-Ireland champions Armagh in the first round of the league the game attracted 54,000 spectators at Croke Park. But the Dublin County Board felt that this was a “one off” and that that it wouldn’t be worth moving to Croker this year.
Dublin County Board Chairman John Bailey said they didn’t have any approach from Croke Park to switch the game. But surely it was up to the county board to approach Croke Park if they wanted to get young people who may not normally go to a league game to attend. However, though there was a huge crowd last year most Dublin supporters were disappointed with the team’s performance, and I genuinely think they wouldn’t get a big crowd this year.

CORCORAN TO RETURN
Cork hurling manager Donal O’Grady and his selectors must be hoping that there is a possibility of Brian Corcoran rejoining the county squad this year. Corcoran, who quit playing hurling in August 2001, has confirmed that he will line out again for his club, Erin’s Own, in the forthcoming league and championship in Cork. The 30-year-old has responded to promptings from new selectors at Erin’s Own to make a comeback.
Meanwhile, former Mayo star Maurice Horan has declared for Limerick. Horan, who is now living and working in Limerick, has joined the Monaleen club. He will be a big asset to Limerick, who make their debut in division one of the National Football league against Laois on Feb. 1.

GOALIE PROTESTS WIFE’S EXCLUSION
One GAA player who is not happy is Wexford hurler Dave Guiney. He boycotted the Wexford hurling squad’s recent holiday in San Francisco as the wives or partners were not allowed travel. “I am a married man with three young children and was only able to play last year because my wife, Brenda, took my share of the responsibilities at home,” he said. “Last year, Wexford trained four nights a week and sometimes with meetings and extra trainer this was extended to six nights a week. It takes a major toll on family life.”
The decision to exclude the wives and partners was taken by the players not the county board.

GAA SELLS OFF HILL
If you were brought up in a Gaelic household you will have heard the story that the famous Hill 16 end at Croke Park was built with rubble which was collected in Dublin’s O’Connell Street after the 1916 Rising. The Hill has recently been demolished to make way for a new terrace at that end of the ground. Now the GAA plan to sell of souvenirs of Hill 16 in two different official products. One will be aimed at everybody’s price bracket, while the other will be a limited edition collector’s item, a piece of the Hill encased in a designer cabinet.

KELLY BEATS OUT BECKHAM
Living in Ireland there is hardly a day goes by that we don’t get a David Beckham story in our broadsheet or tabloid newspapers. So it was surprising to hear that at least in Tipperary local hurler Eoin Kelly is more popular than the Real Madrid star. In a survey of fifth-year primary schoolboys in Tipperary, Kelly was their first choice, Beckham came in second and Tipp dual star Brendan Cummins third. The survey also showed that soccer is the most popular game to watch on television, ahead of hurling, rugby and Gaelic football. Tipperary County Board Chairman Donal Shanahan said: “I think this shows the power of television and tells us the importance of proper marketing if we are to maintain the interest of the youth of the country.”

HURRICANE BIOPIC PLANNED
British television company ITV is to turn the life of Belfast-born snooker player Alex “Hurricane” Higgins into a television drama. The highs and lows of the 54-year-old snooker star will be charted in a new two-hour program based on an unauthorized biography by Bill Borrows. ITV are reported to be currently searching for an actor to play the part of the temperamental but talented Higgins.