Board backs Barry-Murphy

THE CORK county board are all set to give a vote of confidence to Jimmy Barry-Murphy and his selectors for another term in charge of the county's senior hurling team.

It is board policy in Cork to reappoint a successful All-Ireland-winning management team. Barry-Murphy said yesterday that the matter was entirely in the hands of the board.

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody was yesterday appointed as coach to the All Stars team to play Cork in Boston next month.

Meanwhile, six players have been added to the International Rules squad to play in Australia next month. They are Declan O'Keeffe (Kerry) Niall Buckley (Kildare) Dermot Earley (Kildare) Ciaran O'Sullivan (Cork) James Nallen (Mayo ) and James Horan (Mayo).

The annual GOAL challenge takes place between Ciaran Carey's Limerick and the new All-Ireland champions at Pairc Ui Rinn tomorrow evening at 6.00 p.m.

GAA president Joe McDonagh said at yesterday that future post-match presentations in Croke Park will be made out on the pitch as was the case on Sunday. This new arrangement is in the interest of safety he said, and allows players to enjoy their victory in plenty of space.

It was disclosed by a senior Croke Park official yesterday that there were three bomb scares at headquarters during Sunday morning. As is the custom, tracker dogs were in operation.

Former Tipperary inter-county hurler and the holder of two All-Ireland championship medals Colm Bonner was last named as a Waterford senior selector for the coming year.

Bonner won championship medals with his native county in 1989 and 1991 and he now plays his club hurling with Dunhill in Waterford. Former county full back Damian Byrne, Ballygunner clubman Pat O'Sullivan and Declan Fitzpatrick, manager of this year's intermediate side, were also appointed at a board meeting in Dungarvan. They will join manager Gerard McCarthy on the panel. Out-going selectors Greg Fives and John Galvin did not seek re-appointment.

Tipperary football manager, Colm Browne, has resigned from the post. The county's football board has set up a committee to consider the appointment of a manager and selectors.