Dual player Alan Kerins has been dropped from Galway's team for next Sunday's All-Ireland football final against Meath. Kerins, who featured in the county hurlers' defeat by Tipperary in the recent All-Ireland final, has gone from being the centre of speculation about a possible All-Ireland double to losing his place on the football team.

Although the possibility of his omission had been circulating since his substitution in the semi-final win over Derry when two forward replacements, Paul Clancy and Matthew Clancy, played well on being introduced with the latter scoring the goal that swung the match in Galway's favour.

It's Paul Clancy who gets the starting place ahead of Kerins. Clancy has been an unlucky player in the past, missing out on the All- Ireland victory of 1998 and breaking his ankle before the championship. He gave a fine display in last year's All-Ireland final and replay and his recall was likely at some stage.

Given that Jarlath Fallon has also got over an injury-scarred year, the pressure on forward places in John O'Mahony's team - even with Michael Donnellan against named at centrefield - that something had to give.

A relative newcomer to football, Kerins caused a big surprise when making himself available for the football panel in this year's championship.

Meanwhile, a crowd of 31,413 saw Limerick retain their All-Ireland under-21 hurling title at Thurles yesterday. A late Wexford comeback cut the margin to a point and the winners had to survive a last-minute free from Barry Lambert which drifted wide.

Tipperary completed the county's first three-in-a-row camogie All-Irelands with a big win over Kilkenny at Croke Park.

GALWAY (SF v Meath): A Keane; K Fitzgerald, G Fahey (capt.), R Fahey; D Meehan, T Mannion, S de Paor; K Walsh, M Donnellan; P Clancy, J Fallon, J Bergin; D Savage, P Joyce, T Joyce. Subs: P Lally, M Comer, T Meehan, M Colleran, S O Domhnaill, A Kerins, M Clancy, K Comer, J Donnellan, J Divilly, S Walsh, R Silke, K Naughton.