Monaleen quintet in Limerick panel
Captain Muiris Gavin, a regular last year, is now joined by clubmates Dave McAuley, Eoin Keating, Alan Kitson and John Cormican.
Cormican captained the Limerick intermediate hurling team which won the All-Ireland title in 1998.
County manager Liam Kearns has looked to 18 clubs to make up his panel, with Stephen Lavin and Conor Fitzgerald the only representatives from Adare, who lost the county final to Monaleen. In the squad for the first time is Ahane and Limerick hurler John Meskell, and he joins fellow dual players Brian Begley, Conor Fitzgerald and Stephen Lucey.
Towering midfielder John Galvin has returned from Australia and is again available.
The Shannonsiders, who open their National League campaign away to Leitrim on February 2, have arranged a fixture against Mick O’Dwyer’s Laois, in Portaloise, on Sunday. A week later they face Clare in the McGrath Cup, probably at the Gaelic Grounds.
The Limerick hurlers, meanwhile, will also see action this weekend, taking on Leinster club champions Birr at the Ennis Road venue tomorrow, at 2pm.
Manager Dave Keane and his selectors Dave Punch and John Meskell, have delayed naming their 30 strong panel of players to go into training until later this month.
They already had a couple of trial games, beating both University of Limerick and Limerick Institute of Technology. Interestingly, all members of the under-21 team which won the All-Ireland for the third year on the trot in 2002, have participated in training sessions to date.
Meanwhile, Dublin star Ciaran Whelan will lead an experimental Metropolitan side against Wicklow in the O’Byrne Cup at the Thomas Davis grounds on Sunday.
Whelan, along with stars including the likes of student Paul Casey and Darren Homan, remained in Ireland despite the county panel jetting out to South Africa this morning.
Whelan, who was out in South Africa last month, celebrating his recent marriage, said: “We’ve got six or seven lads that aren’t going away so it should be a really good game. I think you’ll see the likes of David O’Callaghan, Bryan Cullen and other young lads in action. “
*Kilkenny’s hurlers jet out to South Africa tomorrow with a financial fillip from supporters . Twenty-three supporters sent them on their way with a 5,000 holiday bonus.
“The number of individuals who made personal contributions was surprising,” admitted County Board secretary Pat Dunphy. “They were ordinary fans who wanted to say thanks and make sure the players got a decent holiday.”
The cost of the luxury trip will be in the region of 250,000 for the 80-strong party. Other major contributors to the fund were hurling championship sponsors Guinness and Croke Park, 85,000; the Kilkenny Supporters Club, 40,000; the County Board, 25,000 and team sponsors Avonmore, 13,000
