O'Mahony named but still a doubt

CHAMPIONSHIP 2008 NEWS:CONOR O'MAHONY has been named at centre back on the Tipperary hurling team for Sunday's Munster final in Limerick despite a persistent shoulder injury that will continue to receive intensive treatment over the next 24 hours.

Manager Liam Sheedy is not expected to make a final decision on such a pivotal position until the morning of the game.

The 2007 All Star full back Declan Fanning is primed to come in at number six should medical opinion rule out O'Mahony. Tipperary would be fined €1,000 if they failed to name a 15-man team.

Sheedy has revamped both forward lines since the historic victory over Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh last month, with two new wing forwards in Pat Kerwick, who makes his first championship start, and Toomevara's John O'Brien. These changes see Willie Ryan and Ryan O'Dwyer missing out as Séamus Butler moves into the full-forward line alongside Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly.

Clare manager Mike McNamara has, as expected, recalled veteran defender Gerry Quinn, who comes into the side at the expense of Brendan Bugler. Quinn starts at right wing back with Pat Vaughan moving to corner back, where he played anyway in the 4-12 to 1-16 defeat of Limerick on June 22nd.

Galway football manager Liam Sammon has dropped former minor captain Paul Conroy along with midfielder Mark Lydon while Declan Meehan is ruled out through injury ahead of the Connacht football final against Mayo in Castlebar on Sunday.

Cormac Bane gets the nod ahead of Conroy; Barry Cullinane comes into midfield alongside Niall Coleman; Niall Coyne replaces Meehan; and Diarmuid Blake takes over at centre back.

Alan Dillon returns from injury to take his place in the Mayo half-forward line. Peadar Gardiner makes way while Aidan Kilcoyne remains in reserve despite a decent impact off the bench in the semi-final victory over Sligo.

The Offaly-Limerick All-Ireland hurling qualifier is set to stay in the Gaelic Grounds tomorrow evening despite concerns the surface would be damaged ahead of the Munster final.

With RTÉ screening the match live, a move to Kilmallock was ruled out despite continued downpours overnight.

Joe Dooley has held off announcing an Offaly side until this evening as he awaits a fitness update on Derek Molloy, who is also struggling to shake off an ankle problem ahead of the Leinster under-21 hurling final against Kilkenny in Tullamore next Wednesday. Ger Healion is also a major concern because of a broken thumb.

Brian Geary returns for the Limerick hurlers. The veteran centre back takes over from Paudie O'Dwyer after recovering from a cruciate knee-ligament injury suffered last October.

Wayne McNamara is another notable inclusion and takes his place in midfield, with Mike O'Brien moving to the half-forward line and Michael Fitzgerald to the bench. Donie Ryan comes in at left corner forward in place of Donnacha Sheehan.

The Tipperary minor team to play Kerry in tomorrow's provincial final replay shows one change in personnel, Eoin Fitzpatrick coming into the side at right corner back in place of Donagh Heffernan.

Offaly football manager Pat Roe has worries over four players ahead of the All-Ireland qualifier clash with Down tomorrow week at Tullamore. Alan McNamee and Rory Connor have been sidelined from training for the last two weeks with leg and hamstring injuries respectively, while Pascal Kellaghan and James Coughlan look certain to miss out.

TIPPERARY(SH v Clare): B Cummins; E Buckley, P Curran, C O'Brien; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony, S Maher; J Woodlock, S McGrath; P Kerwick, S Callinan, J O'Brien; E Kelly, L Corbett, S Butler.

CLARE(SH v Tipperary): P Brennan; P Vaughan, F Lohan, G O'Grady; G Quinn, C Plunkett, P Donnellan; B O'Connell, C Lynch; T Carmody, D McMahon, T Griffin; J Clancy, N Gilligan, M Flaherty.

GALWAY(SF v Mayo): P Doherty; G Bradshaw, F Hanley, D Burke; N Coyne, D Blake, G Sice; B Cullinane, N Coleman; C Bane, P Joyce, N Joyce; M Clancy, M Meehan, F Breathnach.

MAYO(SF v Galway): D Clarke; K Higgins, K Conroy, C Boyle; T Cunniffe, D Heaney, J Nallen; R McGarrity, T Parsons; A Dillon, P Harte, T Mortimer; C Mortimer, A O'Malley, A Moran.

LIMERICK(SH v Offaly): B Murray; D Reale, S Lucey, S Hickey; M O'Riordan, B Geary, M Foley (capt); D O'Grady, W McNamara; M O'Brien, O Moran, N Moran; A O'Shaughnessy, S O'Connor, D Ryan.