DERMOT FLANAGAN, at 34 feels as enthusiastic about playing the new look Mayo senior football side as he was when first figuring for the county minors 17 ago. He regards himself as lucky to have come back a cruciate ligament injury to be in the Mayo team for the National League quarter final Meath on Sunday.
He first donned his county's senior jersey in 1982, following in the footsteps of his late father, Sean, who captained the county to back to back All Ireland final wins in 1950 and 1951.
Dermot Flanagan says of the present team "The older guys like Liam McHale, Anthony Finnerty, Tom Reilly and myself are getting tremendous fun out of being involved with such a young group.
In his own case "still being involved at the highest level after a serious injury is of itself tremendous for me. Any player who comes back from a major injury gets a different kind of a buzz out of it."
Flanagan was forced to retire with a cruciate ligament injury in the opening minutes of the 1993 All Ireland semi final. "The very first ball I went for I just fell over awkwardly," he explains. The injury had the Mayo star sidelined for 18 months.
He returned to the Mayo team last year. "John (Maughan) contacted me at the beginning of the league and asked me how I was. I had been training over the summer doing a lot of cycling, swimming and running, and my fitness levels had come back."
He has since figured in all matches of Mayo's unbeaten run in Division Three. "It's tremendous to be involved in the National League quarter final at this time of the year." The experienced Mayo defender is happy that an ankle injury has cleared up ahead of Sunday's match at Dr Hyde Park.
"Meath will probably be starting from a higher level than us still the aim will be to push them to the limit and find out more about ourselves. Our main strengths are down the middle. Liam McHale and David Brady have developed a great midfield understanding and partnership.
Meanwhile, Brian Mullins, the Derry manager, has to plan with out Rory Boylan, Damien Barton and John McGurk for Sunday's clash with Cavan in Clones. Sean Lockart is drafted in at right half back, with David O Neill moving to full back. Danny Quinn replaces Boylan in midfield with Dermot Heaney, who figured to great effect at full back in the last three games, now lining out at centre half forward.
Offaly hurler Johnny Dooley suffered only slight damage to his knee in the National League match against Waterford in Dungarvan last Sunday. The injury is minor, and not a recurrence of the problem which had kept him out of the game since before Christmas. Martin Hanamy's nose is not broken as first thought.
The GAA and RTE have agreed on a May June package of hurling and football championship matches for live television coverage. The schedule agreed does not include provincial finals. Teatime starts, which did not prove popular last summer, have been avoided, and all matches agreed upon at this stage will start no later than 4.0 p.m.
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