O Se gives Walsh a chance

GAA: Kerry manager Páidí Ó Sé has introduced 19-year-old debutant Donnacha Walsh for Sunday's headline National Football League meeting with Dublin in Killarney. Walsh is one of four changes from the team that fell to Galway in the last league outing, though his selection was widely anticipated on the back of some superlative trail games.

The Cromane clubman, who was a member of last summer's minor team, will start at left-half forward in place of Billy Sheehan, who is demoted to the substitutes bench.

The other changes sees Declan O'Keeffe return to goalkeeping duties, while Michael McCarthy takes over from the injured Barry O'Shea at full back. Declan O'Sullivan also comes into the full forward line in place of the suspended Colm Cooper.

Dublin manager Tommy Lyons has also made several alterations to his starting line-up, giving Liam Óg Ó hEineachain his league debut at left-half forward. Senan Connell is the player to miss out. Ó hEineachain came on to good effect against Tyrone, and also scored 1-3 for UCD in Wednesday's Sigerson Cup match against DCU.

Dublin make three further changes, with Barry Cahill returning to the defence in place of David Henry. Shane Ryan takes over at centre back from Johnny Magee, while Ray Cosgrove returns from suspension to take the place of Johnny McNally in the full forward line.

While Galway manager John O'Mahony this week welcomed back Kevin Walsh and Ja Fallon to his panel, he has accepted Michael Donnellan will be missing for several more weeks with the recurrence of a pelvic injury. Donnellan will travel to England for more specialist treatment and is unlikely to feature in their remaining league games.

Tomorrow night's meeting with Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn, only the second league game to be played under floodlights, won't be a step into the unknown for O'Mahony. Galway played one of their Connacht FBD League games under lights, and on Tuesday night had a trial game under lights against UCG.

O'Mahony is more concerned about the long road trip to Cork.

"We couldn't leave on Friday evening because players would have needed time off work," he says. "So it means being on the road most of Saturday, before playing that night. It's not ideal, but we decided to go with it this time."

The fourth round of the league - the midway point - will be an obvious turning point for most counties. While Galway have won two out of three games so far, O'Mahony has another reason for putting special emphasis on the Cork game.

"We are away for two of our three final games (Dublin and Armagh). As it turned out this year we are at home for only three games, and away for four. And I think from what we've seen in the league so far this year home advantage has been a big factor, and you have less counties winning away."

Elsewhere, Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has called up just one of his seven Errigal Ciarán players to play Donegal at Coalisland - leaving Peter Canavan among the 15 substitutes. John Devine, who continued as standby goalkeeper despite the withdrawal of the other Errigal players during their All-Ireland campaign, takes over from Pascal McConnell.

Brian Dooher drops back to defence in place of injured half-back Declan McCrossan, while Stephen O'Neill is back from injury to line out in the half forward line.

Mayo manager John Maughan makes a few changes for the meeting with Cavan, reintroducing Ger Brady, Gary Mullins and Maurice Sheridan into the starting line-up.

Diarmuid Sheehy, meanwhile, will play his first game of the season for Limerick against Westmeath, taking over from John Cormican at full back.

DUBLIN (SF v Kerry): S Cluxton; B Cahill, P Christie, P Griffin; P Casey, S Ryan, C Goggins; C Whelan, D Magee; C Moran, B Cullen, L Og O hEineachain; A Brogan, R Cosgrove, T Quinn.

KERRY (SF v Dublin): D O'Keeffe; T O'Sullivan, M McCarthy, M O Se; T O Se, S Moynihan, J Sheehan; D O Se, D Daly; S O'Sullivan, E Brosnan, D Walsh; D Quill, D O Cinneide, D O'Sullivan.

TYRONE (SF v Donegal): J Devine; R McMenamin, C Holmes, C Gormley; B Dooher, G Devlin, P Jordan; R Mellon, K Hughes; S Mulgrew, B McGuigan, S O'Neill; F McGuigan, O Mulligan, S Cavanagh. Subs: P McConnell, P Canavan, D Carlin, G Cavlan, C Gourley, M Harte, P Loughran. D McCrossan, M McGee, C McGinley, E McGinley, B Robinson, M Coleman, K McCrory, P Donnelly.

LIMERICK (SF v Westmeath): S.O'Donnell; M O'Riordan, D Sheehy, T Stack; P Browne, S Lucey, S Lavin; J Quane, J Galvin; S Kelly, J Murphy, C Mullane; M Reidy, J Stokes, M Gavin.

MAYO (SF v Cavan): P Burke; K Mortimer, P Kelly, R Connelly; A Roche, B Prendergast, F Costello; D Heaney, G Mullins; G Brady, D Sweeney, D Tiernan; C Mortimer, M Horan, M Sheridan.

KILDARE (v Fermanagh): E Murphy; E Callaghan, D Hendy, A McLoughlin; D Lyons, G Ryan, A Rainbow; K Brennan, R Sweeney; K Ennis, T Rossiter, J Doyle; P Brennan, A McHugh, T Fennin.