Dublin have form and firepower to retain trophy

O'Byrne Cup Final: After a fairly hectic start to the new season, Dublin should get their hands on some silverware this evening when they play Longford in the rescheduled O'Byrne Cup final. As defending champions, Dublin look to have both the incentive and form to win.

Dublin v Longford Tonight, Parnell Park Throw-in - 7.30pm On TV - Setanta Ireland

Incredibly, it marks the seventh game since Christmas for the majority of the Dublin team, starting with the Dubs Stars clash late last month, four previous games in the O'Byrne Cup, and last Saturday's opening National League game against Westmeath. Several more from the St Oliver Plunkett's Eoghan Ruadh club were also kept busy winning the county league title.

There have been highs and lows in that period, such as the 10-point wins over Wicklow and Westmeath in the O'Byrne, the surprise draw with Carlow in the O'Byrne Cup semi-final, and most recently the scrappy win over Westmeath last Saturday. However, with the Brogan brothers, Alan and Bernard, back on board, and also full back Ross McConnell, Dublin will be closer to full strength this evening.

Eamonn Fennell is now well settled at midfield alongside Shane Ryan, although Paul Caffrey is still mixing things up by giving starts to John Leonard in goal, Philip McMahon at wing back, and Brendan McManamon and John O'Brien in the forwards.

Longford also started the competition well, including a fine win over Meath, but their form dipped with last Sunday's defeat to Wexford. Shane Mulligan, Liam Keenan, Pádraig Berry, Paul Barden and Paddy Dowd are all carrying injuries out of that game and although selected to start, it's unlikely all five will play.

If Dublin can give a full 70-minute performance they should win, and then get something of a well-earned break as next weekend's game against Cork looks certain to be cancelled.

Meanwhile, several managers have finalised their starting line-ups for Sunday's opening round of the NHL. Ger Loughnane has named just six players who lined out for Galway in last year's All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Kilkenny for the meeting with his old team Clare at Pearse Stadium. Those surviving are Ger Mahon and John Lee in defence, Fergal Healy in midfield, and Niall Healy, captain Alan Kerins and Iarla Tannian in attack.

Clare manager, and Loughnane's former trainer, Mike McNamara, has included seven debutants in his line-up - corner backs Tadgh Keogh and Conor McMahon, the younger brother of established panellist Diarmuid, and right half back Darragh Clancy all come into the defence, while there are first starts in the forward line for David Barrett, Cathal Lafferty, Mark Flaherty and Ger Arthur.

Beaten All-Ireland finalists Limerick will start with just nine of the team that fell to Kilkenny last September for their opening game against Laois at the Gaelic Grounds. Wing back David Clancy and wing forward Stephen Lavin make their senior debuts, Alan O'Connor returns to the panel to play at wing forward, while Paudie O'Dwyer has been named at centre back.

Mark O'Riordan and Pat Tobin, substitutes in the final, start, while among those ruled out are Brian Geary, who will miss the entire league campaign with a cruciate ligament injury, and Niall Moran, Brian Begley and Conor Fitzgerlald, all carrying minor knocks.

The Tipperary team to play Offaly on Sunday in Semple Stadium has also been announced. Killenaule duo Joe Ceaser and Pat Kerwick will make their league debuts.

TIPPERARY(SH v Offaly): B Cummins; E Buckley, D Fanning, P Curran; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony, B Dunne; J Ceaser, S Maher; P Kerwick, R O'Dwyer, J O'Brien, E Kelly, L Corbett, P Burke.

CLARE(SH v Galway): P Brennan; T Keogh, F Lohan, C McMahon; D Clancy, G Quinn, B Bugler; B O'Connell, J Clancy; D Barrett, C Lafferty, D O'Rourke; M Flaherty, N Gilligan, G Arthur.

LIMERICK(SH v Laois): B Murray; M O'Riordan, S Lucey, S Hickey; P Lawlor, P O'Dwyer, D Clancy; M O'Brien, D O'Grady; S Lavin, O Moran, A O'Connor; A O'Shaughnessy, S O'Connor, P Tobin.

GALWAY(SH v Clare): J Skehill; D Joyce, T Óg Regan, F Moore; G Mahon, J Lee, A Keary; F Healy, K Hayes; N Healy, D Forde, A Kerins; G Farragher, I Tannian, A Callanan.