Club v county dilemma hits Na Piarsaigh

LOYALTY to club and county is posing a major dilemma for a quartet of Na Piarsaigh footballers ahead of their opening Permanent TSB Cork SFC clash tonight (7pm).

Na Piarsaigh are due to play O'Donovan Rossa in the opening round of the championship at Clonakilty, but preparations have been hampered by the involvement of four of their key players in Cork's Allianz Hurling League match-up with Clare in Ennis tomorrow.

The Ó hAilpín brothers Seán Óg and Setanta, Mark Prendergast and John Gardiner are all facing two games in 20 hours and despite a request by the county selectors to have the club match deferred, Na Piarsaigh have stuck with the original fixture fearing a postponement would cause major problems for hurlers down the line.