Keaney gets dual mandate

News:  Dublin football manager Tommy Lyons has said he would be happy for Conal Keaney to remain on his panel as a dual player.

He said he had worked with Keaney at under-21 level and always accommodated his desire to play hurling as well.

"I've never had an issue with Conal Keaney before and I won't have an issue if he wants to try and do both. He'll get to a stage where he'll have to make a clear decision but the county board insist that up to the age of 21 players must be facilitated in playing both codes. At 21 and 22 players should be allowed do what they want but at 24, 25 and 26 that's a different matter."

Lyons's stance on the matter clears the way for Keaney to persevere with a promising dual career that has seen him win in the last year an All Star nomination in hurling and an All-Ireland under-21 football medal.

The Dublin manager was less happy about the situation facing another of his successful under-21s, Declan O'Mahony, sent off in the pre-Christmas match against the TG4 Underdogs team, brought together and trained for the station's reality television programme.

As a result O'Mahony faces a four-week suspension that will keep him out for Dublin's first three National League matches, against Tyrone, Mayo and Kerry.

"He's been suspended for a reality TV programme," said Lyons, "a Mickey Mouse match. Giving a young man who had the head boxed off him a suspension in those circumstances is disappointing. I don't know how it could be considered an official fixture.

"We were asked about the doing the match last April. Because TG4 were involved and they had done wonderful stuff promoting our games we agreed. I said it was in December and we wouldn't be training but we'd do it and now we've got a young man missing three intercounty league games."

Lyons has deferred naming a team for the weekend.

Meath have also put off naming their team for Sunday's clash with Galway. Manager Seán Boylan called off training last night for safety reasons because of the frozen pitch.

Galway name three debutants, Clive Monaghan, Damien Burke from Corofin and Darren Mullaghy. All three are graduates from under-21 level - Monaghan from the team that won the 2002 All-Ireland.

The Caltra players are on the bench pending the club's All-Ireland semi-final against Loup from Derry in three weeks time.

ARMAGH (SF v Wexford): P Hearty; E McNulty, J McNulty, P McCormack; A O'Rourke, T McEntee, JP Donnelly; J Toal, M Macken; M O'Rourke, P McKeever, S Kernan; S McDonnell, R Clarke, A McCann.

GALWAY (SF v Meath): B Donoghue; C Monaghan, K Fitzgerald, M Comer; D Burke, D Mullaghy, S de Paor; K Walsh, J Bergin; D O'Brien, P Joyce, M Donnellan; D Savage, N Joyce, T Joyce.

LIMERICK (SF v Laois): S O'Donnell; M O'Riordan, D Sheehy, T Stack; P Browne, S Lucey, D Reidy; J Stokes, T Carroll; S Kelly, M Gavin, C Mullane; M Horan, J Murphy, E Keating.

DONEGAL (SF v Offaly): T Blake; N McGinley, R Sweeney, D Diver; S Carr, B Monaghan, K Cassidy; P McGonigle, J Haran; B McLaughlin, N Hegarty, B Roper; J McCafferty, A Sweeney, B Devenney.

KERRY (SF v Longford): D O'Keeffe; B Guiney, M McCarthy, T O'Sullivan; T Ó Sé, E Fitzmaurice, S Moynihan; D Ó Sé, T Griffin; P Galvin, D O'Sullivan, E Brosnan; D Quill, D Ó Cinnéide, MF Russell. Subs: D Murphy, M Ó Sé, R O'Connor (St Michael's/Foilmore), S Scanlon, W Kirby, R O'Connor (Kilcummin), J Crowley, L Hassett.

TIPPERARY (SF v Down): P Ryan; D Byrne, S Collum, B Hahessy; N Sheehan, T Russell, N Fitzgerald; K Mulryan, A Fitzgerald; G Burke, F O'Callaghan, J Williams; P Cahill, D Browne, D O'Brien. Subs: P Fitzgerald, L Cronin, T Doyle, L England, E Hanrahan, N Kelly, C Maher, P O'Mahoney, M Webster.