Kilkenny back to full strength

LURKING BEHIND the joviality that marked the announcement of the All-Ireland hurling qualifier series came the news that Kilkenny will be back to full strength for their quarter-final showdown with Limerick on Sunday week.

GAA president Liam O’Neill hosted representatives from the six remaining counties – Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway, Waterford, Cork and Limerick – at the new Waterford IT sports campus, at Carriganore, and hailed the 2012 championship as “one to savour” – with an obvious reference to Kilkenny’s defeat to Galway in the Leinster final.

“Galway’s success over Kilkenny provided plenty of food for thought, and Tipperary’s emergence in Munster after testing wins over Limerick, Cork and finally Waterford underlined their ambitions for the rest of the competition,” said Ó Néill.

“I’m confident the remainder of the championship will complement the fare we’ve had to date.”

However, Kilkenny won’t be surrendering their All-Ireland title without a major fight – not with Michael Rice, Michael Fennelly and JJ Delaney all back to match fitness after their recent injury scares.

All three came through club matches over the weekend, and the only concern now for manager Brian Cody is corner forward Colin Fennelly, who didn’t play for Ballyhale Shamrocks because of an ankle injury, with centre back Brian Hogan expected to be fully recovered from an ankle injury he sustained.

Holders Limerick and Tipperary meet in the first of the Munster under-21 hurling semi-finals at the Gaelic Grounds this evening. Senior star Shane Dowling, who hit 3-9 against Antrim in the All-Ireland qualifiers and scored eight frees against Clare as Limerick advanced to that senior All-Ireland quarter-final, is one of eight senior panellists available to manager John Fitzgerald.

Tipperary boss Ken Hogan makes one change from the team that defeated Cork in the quarter-final as Cian Hogan comes in for the injured David Collins. Clare play Waterford in the other Munster under-21 semi-final tomorrow evening in Cusack Park, while the two Ulster semi-finals are also down for decision this evening.