Railway Cup grinds to halt

NEWS ROUND-UP:AT CENTRAL Council yesterday it was decided to suspend the Railway Cup interprovincial competition for this year. The series, which in recent years had been sponsored by M Donnelly, has with one exception – in 1990 – run every year since 1927.

The decision was explained by one official as being a reflection of a number of issues, consideration for players, lack of public interest, cost and scheduling pressures.

It remains to be seen if this departure signals the end of the competition, which at its height drew crowds of nearly 50,000 in the 1950s, but which in recent times has struggled to find a place in the GAA’s calendar and to attract public interest despite a number of initiatives such as staging finals overseas in the past 10 years.

Meanwhile, Tyrone defender Conor Gormley will miss out on the opening defence of the Ulster football championship title after it was confirmed he suffered knee ligament damage in a club game.

Gormley will not be fit for the first-round clash with Antrim at Casement Park on May 23rd, a repeat of last season’s provincial final. He picked up the injury while playing for Carrickmore against Greencastle earlier this week.

The news adds to manager Mickey Harte’s defensive woes. The McMahon brothers, Joe and Justin, both picked up leg injuries in recent weeks, and Ciarán Gourley has been ruled out for the season with cruciate ligament damage.

Meanwhile, David Breen returns to the Limerick side for tomorrow’s crucial league tie against Dublin at Parnell Park. If Limerick win they will remain in Division One, but a draw will suffice for the Dubs to stay in the top-flight for another season.

Breen was a member of last year’s squad, but was out of the game for several months and his return at full forward means that Paudie McNamara moves to centre forward with James O’Brien at left-half forward.

The Wexford team to line-out tomorrow against Antrim shows two changes from that which defeated Laois at O’Moore Park last time out.

St Martin’s ace Eoin Quigley starts on the 40 in place of Willie Doran while in defence Malachy Travers comes in to take the number seven jersey from Darren Stamp.

WEXFORD(NHL v Antrim): N Carton; P Roche, K Rossitter, E Doyle; R Kehoe, C Kenny, M Travers; M Molloy, C Farrell; A Shore, E Quigley, D Lyng; R Jacob, S Banville, P Atkinson.

LIMERICK(NHL v Dublin), T Flynn; D Lynch, D Kenny, S O'Neill; L O'Dwyer, A Brennan, N Quaid; S O'Riordan, B O'Sullivan; P Browne, P McNamara, J O'Brien; G Mulcahy, D Breen, R McKeogh.