Cooper returns to starting spot

Gaelic Games/ News: Star forward Colm Cooper returns to the starting line-up for Kerry's meeting with Laois in the Division One semi-final of the National Football League at Killarney on Sunday.

With Cooper given the number 13 jersey, Bryan Sheehan gets the nod at left half forward, with Eoin Brosnan moving to the bench.

Westmeath's All Star defender John Keane returns to the starting line-up for Sunday's Division Two semi-final against Donegal in Kingspan Breffni Park.

Regular goalkeeper Gary Connaughton also resumes between the posts. Donal O'Donoghue and Gary Dolan shake off knocks, but Derek Heavin and James Davitt remain absent through injury.

Highly rated midfielder Rory O'Connell was, sadly, forced into premature retirement this week, also through injury. David Duffy and David O'Shaughnessy form the new centrefield partnership.

Such was the surprise progress of Westmeath to the knockout stages, at Cavan's expense, that manager Tomás Ó Flatharta was forced to cancel a challenge match against Meath at Bohermeen on Bank Holiday Monday.

Meanwhile, the Limerick hurlers must plan without Stephen Lucey for their Division One league quarter-final against Waterford at Semple Stadium. Lucey is replaced at centre forward by Donie Ryan, with Mark Riordan coming into the team at midfield.

Waterford manager Justin McCarthy has made three changes after last weekend's comprehensive defeat to Offaly.

Eoin Kelly is guaranteed at least a one-month suspension following his straight red card last Sunday. Dave Bennett comes into midfield. Eoin McGrath replaces John Hartley at corner forward, while Tony Browne is preferred at wing back to Eoin Murphy.

Last year's Leinster winning Dublin minor hurling captain, John McCaffrey, has been selected at midfield for the Division Two semi-final against Westmeath in Páirc Tailteann, Navan. Captain Philip Brennan and free-taker David Curtain also return.

Meanwhile, the 11th instalment of the Cambridge University versus Oxford University Colours Match takes place on Saturday, April 29th. And, of course, we're talking Gaelic football.

For the first time, hurling and ladies' football matches will also take place on the undercard at University Park in Cambridge.

This has barely caused a ripple on the old campus. Although the three fixtures take place on the light-blue side of the varsity divide, the Cambridge sporting powers refuse to recognise the GAA club, despite its existence since 1995. Their Oxford rivals, in contrast, are already established as a university club.

Maurice Fallon is studying for a PhD in Engineering at Cambridge but, along with co-captain Vinnie McCaughan, he has consistently hit a brick wall in attempts to seek acknowledgement.

"It's hard to gain any official status from the university as they only really have an interest in soccer, rugby and of course rowing," said Fallon. "Unlike at Oxford, we are not yet recognised as a sports club. We have been trying to get some sort of response, but they have been uncommunicative."

More success has been gleaned from Croke Park as Cambridge are registered with the British Council wing of the GAA. The hurling panel even received financial assistance this year, to the tune of £200, for equipment.

It's a lonely trek and not many spectators are expected to attend when the hurling colours opens a full day of Gaelic Games in just over two weeks' time.

Making up the numbers is the most difficult challenge as Fallon, a former under-16 Westmeath footballer, explains: "It's strange watching the four or five English players trying to play hurling.

"There have been some interesting solutions as they attempted to pick up the ball. We were able to show the foreigners a video of a football match, but most have never seen a game of hurling. A few Aussie rugby players (and no doubt some with an Australian Rules background) have adapted to football handily enough."

Cambridge are currently in possession of the Moynihan Cup and will be seeking to stay clear of Oxford with a sixth victory on April 29th.

Gaelic Football Champions

2005: Cambridge. 2004: Oxford. 2003: Oxford. 2002: Cambridge. 2001: Cambridge. 2000: Oxford. 1999: Cambridge. 1998: Oxford. 1997: Cambridge. 1996: Cambridge.Overall: Cambridge 5 Oxford 4 Draw 1.

KERRY (NFL v Laois): D Murphy; A O'Mahony, M Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan; T Ó Sé, S Moynihan, M Lyons; D Ó Sé, K Donaghy; P Galvin, E Fitzmaurice, B Sheehan; C Cooper, D O'Sullivan, R O'Connor.

WESTMEATH (NFL v Donegal): G Connaughton; C Davey, D O'Donoghue, J Keane; M Ennis, D Healy, G Glennon; D Duffy, D O'Shaughnessy; J Nugent, G Dolan, A Mangan; PJ Ward, D Glennon, D Dolan.

LIMERICK (NHL v Waterford): B Murray; D Reale, TJ Ryan, M Foley; O Moran, B Geary, M Riordan; P O'Grady, D O'Grady; M O'Brien, D Ryan, C Fitzgerald; A O'Shaughnessy, B Begley, M Keane.

WESTMEATH (NHL v Dublin): M Briody; C Jordan, C Murtagh, P Greville; N Gavin, D McCormack, B Connaughton; E Loughlin, G Gavin; D Devine, B Murtagh, A Mitchell; B Kennedy, J Shaw, J Clarke.

DUBLIN: (NHL v Westmeath): G Maguire; P Brennan, K Ryan, T Brady; M Carton, R Fallon, A de Paor; J McCaffrey, T Moore; E Moran, S McDonnell, D Curtin; K Dunne, K Flynn, A McCrabbe.