Donnellans return to Galway training

The Donnellan brothers, Michael and John, last night participated in Galway's first training session since the county dispatched Leitrim on Sunday.

The Donnellans failed to appear at a scheduled training session last Tuesday evening and were not picked for the Leitrim game. Last night, they turned up in Tuam and took full part in the squad session.

Galway manager John O'Mahony confined his comments to one succinct line: "I am delighted they are back."

Throughout last week, O'Mahony repeated his stance that the door was permanently open to the best footballers in the county and deflected speculation as to why the Donnellans had failed to appear.

Galway fans - and all football fans - will be relieved that the stand-off is over. Michael Donnellan is, on form, the outstanding player in the country at present. His brother John is an accomplished marksman and contributed handsomely to Galway's run to the league final.

While it was rumoured that their absence from training last week followed word that John Donnellan was unlikely to be picked for the Leitrim match, this was never confirmed by either player or from the Galway management.

Mayo's David Brady and Clare hurler Niall Gilligan are the first winners of the Gaelic Players' Association's (GPA) player awards for 2001.

Brady was chosen for his towering displays in the play-off stages of the Allianz Football League, which helped his county capture the title against Galway. Gilligan was also selected for the consistency of his league endeavours.

The GPA announced that the total funding for the scholarship initiative, for which the Carphone Warehouse firm donates £10 for every goal scored and £1 for every point, now stands at £5,592.

The Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, will be in Croke Park today to celebrate the launch of TG4's GAA documentary series on contemporary giants of Gaelic games.

The 10-part series, entitled Loachra Gael begins next Monday night with an in-depth profile of former Clare player and manager Ger Loughnane. Among the other personalities to feature will be Kerry football manager Paidi O Se, Limerick's Eamonn Cregan, Offaly's Pat Fleury and Kilkenny's All-Ireland-winning manager Brian Cody. All of those profiled in the series will attend today's launch.

The GAA McNamee awards for 2000 were announced yesterday, with seven category winners. Vincent Hogan of the Irish Independent picked up the national newspaper award for his article on DJ Carey after Kilkenny's All-Ireland semi-final win last year.

John Knox of the Kilkenny People won the provincial section for his profile on Eamonn Kennedy. Tommy Lyons won the best article in a GAA yearbook section, while Down PRO Fintan Mussen was rewarded for his efforts in producing the best county final programme.

Burt GAA club in Donegal was given the best club publication award for Against the Grain; best photograph was Ger Mooney's portrait of Dublin hurler Liam Walsh; and Kerry Local Radio won the award for producing the best local radio programme.

The recipients will be presented with their awards by GAA president Sean McCague in the Burlington hotel on Saturday, June 9th.

Admission to the Croke Park double-header on Sunday is by ticket only. Tickets are generally priced at £15 with Hill 16 tickets costing £10.

Family tickets are £15 per adult and £3 for a child, with a maximum of two children's tickets per family. Stand and terrace tickets will be on sale at the ticket office at the rear of the New Stand from 10.0 a.m. to 4.0 p.m. on Saturday. Stiles open at 12.30 p.m.