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Irish Sports Desk Carey is left off millennium team

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Sean Creedon

D.J. Carey is a surprise omission from the An Post-sponsored GAA hurling team of the millennium. There was no place for the Kilkenny forward; in fact the only current player to make the team is Offaly’s Brian Whelahan.

It’s impossible to pick a team to keep everybody happy, but this was the selectors choice.

Tony Reddin (Tipperary); Billy Rackard (Wexford), Nick O’Donnell (Wexford), John Doyle (Tipperary); Brian Whelahan (Offaly), John Keane (Waterford), Paddy Phelan (Kilkenny); Lory Meagher (Kilkenny), Jack Lynch (Cork); Jim Langton (Kilkenny), Mick Mackey (Limerick), Christy Ring (Cork); Jimmy Doyle (Tipperary), Ray Cummins (Cork), Eddie Keher (Kilkenny).

Barrett to go pro

Francie Barrett, the Galway-born traveler, who carried the Irish flag in the Atlanta Olympics four years ago, has decided to turn professional. Barrett, who failed to qualify for a place on the Irish team for the Sydney Olympics, has signed a 12-fight contract with London promoter Frank Warren.

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Barrett will make his professional debut at Wembley on Aug. 12 when he fights on the undercard to Joe Calzaghe’s WBO super-middleweight title defense against Omar Sheilka. His opponent has not yet been confirmed.

Warren naturally talked up his new signing. "This kid will take the boxing world by storm," he said. "He is an exciting all-action fighter in the same tradition as Steve Collins and Barry McGuigan. I have no doubt he will win a world title.”

Meanwhile Wayne McCullough’s next fight will be in Gary, Ind., on Aug. 18. McCullough, who has not fought since his unsuccessful challenge to Erik Morales in Detroit last October, will box Mexican Jorge Paredes.

Moran quits Sligo

Mickey Moran has become the 12th intercounty manager to quit this summer. Moran handed in his resignation following Sligo’s heavy loss to Galway in the Connacht semifinal and immediately his name was linked to the vacant Derry job. Moran and Eamonn Coleman worked together previously in Derry, but when Coleman was sacked by the Derry County Board, Moran his assistant, took over. However, in a radio interview at the weekend, Coleman hinted that might make a comeback after talks with the Derry County Board.

The list of resignations include, in football, Eamonn Coleman (Derry), Mickey Moran (Sligo), Pat King (Fermanagh), Cyril Hughes (Carlow), Pat Gribbin (Laois), Gay Sheerin (Roscommon), and Declan Bonner (Donegal), and in hurling, Ger Loughnane (Clare), Joachim Kelly (Wexford), Michael O’Grady (Dublin) and Mike O’Halloran (Kerry).

Gerald McCarthy is staying on as coach of the Waterford senior hurlers. The former Cork star tendered his resignation following Waterford defeat by Tipperary in the Munster championship in May. McCarthy’s selectors next year will be former Tipperary star Colm Bonnar, Damien Byrne (Erin’s Own), Mick Gaffney (Ballygunner) and Declan Fitzpatrick (St Mary’s).

Shels showdown

Shelbourne, who face Norwegian club Rosenborg in the next round of the Champions League at Tolka Park this evening, July 26, will face a Croatian or Hungarian club if they beat the Norwegians. If the Eircom League part-timers pull of a major shock by beating Rosenborg they will play either Hadjuk Split of Croatia or Donaferr from Hungary.

Shels have done well to get this far and while Rosenborg have lost some of their best players, it would be a major shock if the Eircom League champions progressed to the next round.

Like old times for Micko

It will be like old times at Croke Park on Sunday with Mick O’Dwyer planning to beat old rivals Dublin. But instead of Kerry, it will be a Kildare team that the veteran Waterville coach will be coaching in the Leinster final. Since he moved to Kildare five years ago O’Dwyer has done well, but in all that time he has only one major win over the Dubs, in the 1998 Leinster final. It’s a well known fact that this is Micko’s last year with The Lilywhites and he would love to win an All-Ireland final before quitting.

If they get past Dublin, a semifinal lineup against Galway, their conquerors in 1998, looks likely. O’Dwyer is a good man for making excuses and now he is saying that Dublin have had a few extra weeks’ preparation, while Kildare have had only two weeks break due to their replay against Offaly. But make no mistake a Kildare win is likely, if their forward remember where the goalposts are. Dublin have not really been tested, with easy wins over Wexford and Westmeath, while Kildare have had tough games against Louth and Offaly.

However, Niall Buckley, who is working in Chicago, will not be travelling back to Ireland for the game. "I made a commitment to St. Brendan’s and I’m not a man to break my word, but nobody can explain to me why I can’t play county football back home in Ireland and club football in Chicago,” he said.

Buckley was earlier told by the GAA that if returned to play for Kildare that he could not play for St. Brendan’s again this year.

Munster open vs. Welsh side

Beaten European Cup finalists Munster open their rugby campaign with a home game against Welsh side Newport on Oct. 7. Ulster, champions in 1999, also open next season’s campaign with a game against a Welsh club, they face Cardiff. Meanwhile, Leinster travel to Scotland to play Edinburgh Reivers on the opening weekend.

Munster have received a boost with the news that second row John Langford will be available next season. He had gone home to Australia and there were fears that he would not return. However, definitely out of the Munster team next season are Keith Wood, Eddie Halvey and Brian O’Meara. Wood has returned to fulfill his contract with Harlequins, Halvey has joined London Irish, while O’Meara will play for Leinster.

FAI Walsh dead

The death occurred last week of former FAI President Charlie Walsh, from Drogheda. Walsh, an accountant by profession, was president of the FAI from 1974-76 and treasurer in the 1980s and ’90s.

Charlton redux

John Charlton, son of former Irish manager Jack, has been appointed manager of English club Byth Spartans. The club play in the Unibond League and 41-year-old John says his aim is to get them promotion to the Vauxhall Conference League. This is a first managerial job for John, who used to manage the Baggott Inn pub in Dublin, when Big Jack had a share in it.

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