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Irish Sports Desk Limerick’s Cregan axes 8 hurling mainstays

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Sean Creedon

Limerick hurling manager Eamonn Cregan has wielded the axe on eight members of this year’s championship squad. Cregan and his selectors have dropped Pa Carey, Dave Hennessy, Owen O’Neill, Sean O’Neill, Albert Shanahan, Ger Hegarty, Padraig Tobin and Anthony Carmody. In their place come the Patrickswell trio of Paul O’Grady, Paul Carey and Declan O’Grady, Brian Tobin and Brian Begley (Mungret) Donie and Dave Ryan (Garryspillane), Pat Ahern (Tournafalla), John Morrissey (Ahane), Patsy Keyes and Stephen Lucey (Croom). With the National League not due to begin until next March, Limerick will play in the Oireachtas competition as well as the South East League.

The Clare County Board has shown its support for suspended hurling star Colin Lynch by deferring two championship games until his suspension expires on October 10. The Clare County Board are still unhappy about the three-month ban which Lynch had to serve, while two Offaly players guilty of pulling on Clare players in the All-Ireland semifinal, were not punished by the referee or Central Council.

Women clocked

There should be no controversy about time in the Ladies All-Ireland football final between Monaghan and Waterford at Croke Park next Sunday. A countdown clock will be used for the first time in an All-Ireland final and we are guaranteed a good game between the two Ladies Gaelic Football teams in the country. Monaghan beat Waterford last year, after winning their first national title in 1996. Waterford have also won their four titles in the 90s — 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995. Last year, 15-year-old Edel Byrne was one of the stars of the Monaghan team and naturally she will be in the team again this year.

GAA backs Omagh effort

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The GAA got bad press when they refused to allow Healy Park in Omagh to be used for a soccer game in aid of the Omagh Fund. But now the Association has announced details of a major fund-raising initiative to boost its Omagh Victims’ Fund. The Irish team for the International Rules Series against Australia will play an Ulster selection at Healy Park on Saturday, Oct. 3. As a curtain-raiser the Tyrone minor footballers will play an Ulster minor selection. In addition the GAA has instructed all of its 1,800 clubs to raise funds for the Omagh Fund. Already the proceeds from the re-fixed All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Clare and Offaly have been allocated to the fund.

Hill 16 still standing

Good news for Dublin and other Gaelic games supporters who like to stand at big GAA games in Croke Park. The GAA has been given the planning go-ahead to preserve Hill 16 as a permanent terrace for future generations. The famous Hill, which was originally built from the rubble of the 1916 Rising, was due to be changed to seating, but the GAA had second thoughts and The Hill will now be expanded to cater to an additional 4,000 standing spectators, bringing its capacity to 15,000.

Danoli comeback on track

The great Danoli could return to the race track on Oct. 14. The Tom Foley-trained steeplechaser was injured prior to Cheltenham this year and it was feared he may never race again. But now it looks like the "People’s Favorite" could return at the Gowran Park three-day festival from Oct. 14-16.

McCarthy to name team

Mick McCarthy is expected to name his squad this week for the two upcoming Euro 2000 games against Yugoslavia in Belgrade on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Malta in Dublin on Wednesday, Oct. 14. At present there are slight fitness doubts about Damien Duff and Keith O’Neill, who was injured early in the game against Croatia.

Despite an excellent start to the Euro 2000 campaign, the Republic of Ireland has dropped to 54th place in the FIFA World rankings. The rankings are a joke, really, because a country can boost their ratings by winning friendly internationals. And two months after the World Cup finals Brazil are still ranked at No. 1, with World champions France in second place.

Meanwhile, Liam George, one of the stars of the Republic’s European Youth championship triumph in Cyprus in July, will be out of football for the rest of the season. The 18-year-old Cork star broke his leg playing for his English club Luton Town.

The latest crop of Youth players will be in action in Dublin next week when they play Poland, Cyprus and Russia in their bid to qualify for next year’s finals in Sweden.

IRU to decide on Lansdowne

The Irish Rugby Union will make a decision on their future at Lansdowne Road in November. The Union can decide to turn the Lansdowne pitch by 90 degrees and build new stands or move to a "green field" site that they have purchased near Newlands Cross on the main Dublin to Cork Road. Local residents would no doubt object to new stands at Lansdowne Road and the IRFU would make millions from the sale of the prestigious Dublin 4 site if they had to move out to Newlands.

Cats’ O’Connor speaks out — again

Former Kilkenny captain Eddie O’Connor has been critical of Kilkenny manager Kevin Fennelly and his selectors following the Cats’ loss to Offaly in the All-Ireland final. Eddie said he felt that 32-year-old John Power and 27-year-old Adrian Ronan should have been in the team. It’s not the first time that O’Connor has spoken his mind. In his acceptance speech after Kilkenny won the McCarthy Cup in 1993, he called on the GAA to make a donation to the players’ holiday fund.

Morgans says no to Cork

Former Cork manager Billy Morgan has turned down the offer to coach the Wicklow senior footballers. Morgan, who is still very involved with his club, Nemo Rangers in Cork, said he had discussions with the Wicklow County Board but would not be able to give the job commitment it demands.

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