GAELIC GAMES: Lar Corbett has been passed fit for Tipperary's opening Munster Hurling Championship game against Limerick at Semple Stadium on Sunday.
Corbett had missed the hard winter training, and most of the National League campaign, as he was in Australia, although the management sent him Down Under with a training programme. And after returning in March, he was parachuted back into the team but was suffering with a leg strain recently.
Others to come through the last night's fitness test are Paddy O'Brien, who joins Corbett and Eoin Kelly in the full forward line, and corner back Martin Maher. The latter's recovery means Diarmaid Fitzgerald must be content with a place on the bench.
Francis Devenney makes his debut at centre forward alongside captain Benny Dunne and John Devane. However, Micheal Webster and Hugh Maloney are still struggling with hamstring injuries and miss out. Webster has been a regular all through the league after turning down the football captaincy to focus on hurling this year.
Joe Kernan has stuck with the same Armagh side that dismantled Wexford in the National Football League final for the preliminary Ulster Championship match against Fermanagh on Sunday.
This means there is no room for a fit again Tony McEntee, who damaged ankle ligaments playing for Crossmaglen Rangers against Portlaoise in the All-Ireland club semi-finals last February.
"He's played two club matches and got through them 100 per cent," said Kernan. "He is back in training but definitely won't be starting. Tony's one of those boys, he's Mr Fix-it, you could play him from full back to full forward. If the occasion comes up that we felt we could need him - certainly he'd go in.
"Some of the other players are working so hard in training it's a credit to them. The Aidan O'Rourkes, the Andy McCanns and Enda (McGinley), who is not available this weekend. Those boys are bursting to get back in - if somebody slips up who knows."
There are two graduates from last year's under-21 All-Ireland winning side on either side of captain Kieran McGeeney as Aaron Kernan and Ciarán McKeever make championship debuts.
After winning the Ulster Championship in emphatic style, Armagh were beaten by a late Tom Brewster point at last year's quarter-finals stage, but the perfect reply was to claim a first National League title.
"For some of them it will be their last year so they are leaving no stone unturned, and neither are we, to make it a successful championship," continued Kernan.
"We are playing a team now who have added strength to their panel with the two Gallaghers and Ryan Keenan back so Fermanagh will be feeling confidant too. It's who can cope with the pressure, there is going to be more pressure on them this year because their fans expect the same as our fans all the time."
Kildare are hoping the absent Karl Ennis and Andrew McLoughlin will not hamper progress to the Leinster Championship quarter-finals where Westmeath await. At least Ronan Sweeney has recovered from hip damage to take up his wing forward slot against Wicklow this Sunday in Croke Park.
Veterans Glenn Ryan and Anthony Rainbow are named in the defensive lines, but Dermot Earley was not considered after only recently returning to the panel. Padraig Mullarkey and Padraig O'Neill make their first championship starts.
Kildare's opponents Wicklow have added Alan Ellis to the vacant corner forward role.
Longford manager Luke Dempsey gives four players their championship debuts against Dublin also in Croke Park. Bernard McElvaney comes into midfield in the absence of the injured Liam Keenan to partner Paul O'Hara. Forwards Paddy Dowd and Brian Kavanagh, along with centre back Dominic Glennon, are the others.
Captain Paul Barden makes only his second competitive start of the year at centre forward. He injured a calf muscle against UCD in the O'Byrne Cup last January with his only action since being a recent run-out against Galway when he played the full 70 minutes.
TIPPERARY (SH v Limerick): B Cummins; M Maher, P Maher, P Curran; D Fanning, D Kennedy, E Corcoran; C Morrissey, P Kelly; J Devane, F Devanney, B Dunne (capt); E Kelly, L Corbett, P O'Brien.
ARMAGH (SF v Fermanagh): P Hearty; A Mallon, F Bellew, P McCormack; A Kernan, K McGeeney (capt), C McKeever; J Toal, P McGrane; M O'Rourke, J McEntee, O McConville; S McDonnell, R Clarke, B Mallon.
KILDARE (SF v Wicklow): E Murphy; P Mullarkey, D Hendry, A Rainbow; M Foley, G Ryan, D Lyons; K Brennan, W Heffernan; E Callaghan, P O'Neill, R Sweeney; T Fennin, S McKenzie-Smith, J Doyle.
LONGFORD (SF v Dublin): D Sheridan; D Brady, C Conefrey; A O'Connor, D Glennon, D Reilly; P O Hara, B McElvaney; J Martin, P Barden (capt), P Dowd; B Kavanagh, N Sheridan, P Davis.
