Fennelly will have few options

GAA: Dublin hurling manager Kevin Fennelly has conceded that his panel for the coming league and championship season will not feature any dual players. Following further indication from his football counterpart, Tommy Lyons, that players in the county will have to decide on one code or the other, Fennelly finds himself short a number of players previously in contention for a place on his hurling panel.

GAThe latest ultimatum from Lyons came after the Blue Stars challenge games on Sunday, when he reiterated his position on the matter, stating that his final panel will be made up of footballers alone.

"I'm certainly not anti-hurling," he said, "but I can only run my camp and that's the way I'm going to be running it."

While the situation drives the dual player a step closer to extinction, Fennelly accepts that inter-county players attempting to combine both games at championship level has become increasingly difficult. In Dublin's case, however, it is hurling that invariably loses out.

"I haven't talked directly to Tommy Lyons about the matter but I respect his decision," said Fennelly yesterday. "I know it is hard to give the full commitment to both games, and it's nearly impossible from a training point of view because of the intensity involved these days.

"So it boils down to the players themselves. The situation is fairly clear now and I don't have a major problem with that, but it just means that there are now four or five players that I don't have."

Still unresolved, though, is the intentions of Shane Ryan. Up to now he has featured in both football and hurling in equal prominence, but he has declined to comment on the matter until he speaks at length with Lyons. It is known he is still eager to play both games.

"At the moment I still don't know what the situation is with Shane Ryan," said Fennelly, "and whether he is going to be in with us or not. But I do understand the pressure he is under, and that it's not an easy decision for him."

It was hoped that the county board may intervene and establish some sort of compromise, but so far Fennelly hasn't had any communication on the matter.

"No, we haven't talked about it at all. I asked the question two or three months ago about what would the situation be with dual players, but I decided then to wait and see what sort of panel Tommy Lyons has selected.

"I wanted to leave the players alone, and give them the chance to see if a player can make the football team. But if they can make the team then it's quite obvious what they will do, but in fairness I wasn't being told that they wouldn't have to decide on one or the other.

"The only problem I have with that is that I didn't expect to be without so many of those dual players. And I would be disappointed that a good few of those players went to football. That's definitely my loss."

Ryan is regarded as a key element to Fennelly's panel, although he did make a total commitment to football last year, saying at the time that the circumstances were beyond his control.

Risteard Brennan, Manus Breathnach, David Henry and Liam Óg Ó hÉineacháin were the other leading contenders to play on both panels, yet all of them played in the football challenge on Sunday.

Lyons has also made it clear that while he is interested only in those who want to play football, he is not trying to stand in the way of those who want to play hurling. "If Shane Ryan wants to play hurling then good luck to him," he said, "and I've no problem with that."

The matter is likely to achieve some attention next Monday night in Parnell Park when the Dublin hurling blueprint, which was launched last November by the Dublin hurling review group under the chairmanship of Michael O'Grady, is discussed further with club delegates.

Meanwhile, the GAA "off-season" continues to throw up some interesting fixtures. The two semi-finals of the O'Byrne Cup take place on Sunday, with Laois facing Carlow at Portarlington and Louth facing Wicklow in Drogheda.

There is also a Connacht league meeting between Sligo and Mayo on Saturday at Kent Park, with the latter also in action on Sunday against Connacht champions Roscommon.

New Wicklow manager John O'Leary won't be calling on any of the Rathnew players for his trip to Drogheda. He will allow them to concentrate on the club championship for as long as they remain in contention, starting with the All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Ballinderry.

That game is set for Longford on February 24th, with Charlestown of Mayo meeting Nemo Rangers of Cork in the other semi-final in Nenagh on the same day.

Darragh Ó Sé, nephew of team boss Páidí, will captain the Kingdom for the coming National League and Championship campaigns, it has been officially confirmed.

It comes as no great surprise, as the powerful An Gaeltacht midfielder was hotly tipped to succeed the luckless Eoin Brosnan, who took over the Kerry captaincy in controversial circumstances from Séamus Moynihan before their ill-fated humiliation at the hands of Meath in last year's All-Ireland semi-final.

While An Ghaeltacht had the honour of nominating this year's Kerry captain following their historic, first county senior championship success, it has been confirmed the club's Kerry players decided among themselves that Ó Sé would be the new skipper.

Ó Sé, though missing out on an All-Star award this year, was inspirational with both club and county and was also a key member of the Irish International Rules team who beat Australia Down Under.

FIXTURES

SATURDAY

CONNACHT SF LEAGUE: Sligo v Mayo, 2.0, Kent Park, G Guinan (Galway).

HASTINGS CUP UNDER-21 FOOTBALL PLAY-OFFS: Wexford v Laois, 2.0, TBA; Longford v Armagh, 2.0, Dromard; Westmeath v Fermanagh 2.0, Mullingar.

SUNDAY

O'BYRNE CUP SF SEMI-FINALS: Laois v Carlow, 2.00, Portarlington; Louth v Wicklow, 2.0, Drogheda (Extra-time, if necessary).

CONNACHT SF LEAGUE: Mayo v Roscommon, 2.0, Ballyhaunis, P McGovern (Galway); Leitrim v Sligo, 2.0, Cloone, P Carney (Roscommon).

HASTINGS CUP UNDER-21 FOOTBALL PLAY-OFF: Antrim v Tyrone, 2.0, Casement Park.

CONNACHT JUNIOR CLUB FOOTBALL: Dromohair v Strokestown, 2.0, Dromohair.