Cooney excluded as Galway seek solace

Galway, beaten by Kilkenny in the quarter-final of the All Ireland Championship in Thurles, have left out Joe Cooney from their team to take on Tipperary in the National League semi-final in Ennis on Saturday evening. The most significant alteration to the team is the selection of Michael Coleman at centre forward. Greg Kennedy replaces Willie Burke at left corner back with Brian Feeney moving into the full-back slot.

Michael Donoghue comes in at left-half back, Nigel Shaughnessy moves to midfield and Ollie Fahy comes in to take his place in the left corner of the full forward line. Limerick have made widespread changes in their team for their semi-final against Kilkenny at Nowlan Park on Sunday. Six of the players who started against Tipperary in the Munster championship semifinal are missing for a variety of reasons.

Missing from the Limerick side which was beaten by Tipperary in the Munster championship are Mark Foley, Dave Clarke, Mike Houlihan, Sean O'Neill, Gary Kirby and Brian Tobin.

Into action come the Moran brothers, James and Ollie, both in the full forward line. There has been some doubt about the fitness of the pair earlier in the week, but they have since been cleared while TJ Ryan comes into the side at centre half back, having moved from the attack.

Tony O'Brien comes in at left-half back, while Mike Galligan and Frankie Carroll, who both made appearances as a substitute against Tipperary, also line out. Gary Kirby is included among the substitutes, but his fitness is in some doubt.

While Limerick and Tipperary seem to have distanced themselves from the importance of the League competition, it appears that Kilkenny and Galway regard the competition as an opportunity to gain something from the season. This would seem to indicate that Galway and Kilkenny may contest the final, thereby giving hurling supporters an opportunity to see the sides in action again following Kilkenny's extraordinary second-half display against the Connacht side in the second half of their championship semi-final in Thurles.

Limerick (SH v Kilkenny): J Quaid; S McDonogh, M Nash, D Nash; J Foley, TJ Ryan, T O'Brien; C Carey, Shane O'Neill; M Galligan, F Carroll, B Foley; J Moran, O Moran, D Hennessy.

Galway (SH v Tipperary): P Costello; F Gantley, B Feeney, G Kennedy; V Maher, C Moore, M Donoghue; N Shaughnessy, L Burke; J Campbell, M Coleman, K Broderick; F Forde, E Cloonan, O Fahy.