Six of last year’s team in for Leinster

THE Leinster team to play Ulster in the Interprovincial Football Championship semi-final tomorrow in Enniskillen includes six players from the side which defeated the northerners 1-14 to 2-9 in last year’s final.

Paddy Christie, Anthony Rainbow, Ciaran Whelan, Ciaran McManus, Dessie Dolan and Paul Barden are all included on a team which is backboned by a quintet of Laois players.

Munster have included six Limerick players on their team to play Connacht also tomorrow in Enniskillen. The final is at the same venue on Sunday.

Only Stephen Lucey (Limerick) and Kerry’s Eoin Brosnan survive from last year. Ireland captain Graham Canty (Cork) is named at full back in front of his county colleague Kevin O’Dwyer. Nicholas Murphy (Cork) and Limerick’s Jason Stokes form a solid midfield partnership while Muiris Gavin will lead an attack that see Cork colleagues Colin Crowley and Miceál Ó Croinín at right and left full forward respectively.

Despite the many defections, coach Brian McEniff has picked a very strong Ulster team for the clash with the champions. Included are Cormac McAnallen, Conor Gormley, Brian Dooher, Sean Cavanagh and Owen Mulligan from All-Ireland champions Tyrone, while Ryan McMenamin and Armagh’s Tony McEntee are among the subs.

Tom Ryan has been appointed hurling coach to the Westmeath senior team for the next three years.

The former Limerick manager who had sought the position in his own county which was eventually given to Pa Joe Whelehan (Offaly) takes over from Galway’s Michael Conneely.

Ryan said his first priority would be to win promotion to Division One of the NHL next season. Westmeath have been drawn with Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin in the preliminary round of the 2004 Leinster championship.

ULSTER (v Leinster): M. McVeigh (Down); E. McNulty (Armagh), C. McAnellan (Tyrone), N. McCreedy (Donegal); C. Gormley (Tyrone), D. Monaghan (Donegal), K. Cassidy (do.); G. McCartan (Down), P. McCrane (Armagh); B. Dooher (Tyrone), S. Cavanagh (do.), B. Coulter (Down); S. McDonnell (Armagh), E. Muldoon (Derry), O. Mulligan (Tyrone).

LEINSTER (v Ulster): F. Byron (Laois); C. Daly (Offaly), P. Christie (Dublin), J. Hayes (Laois); S. Ryan (Dublin), T. Kelly (Laois), A. Rainbow (Kildare); C. Whelan (Dublin), P. Clancy (Laois); C. McManus (Offaly), P. Barden (Longford), D. Dolan (Westmeath); T. Fennin (Kildare), I. Fitzgerald (Laois), S. Rea (Carlow).

MUNSTER (v Connacht): K. O’Dwyer (Cork); T. Stack (Limerick), G. Canty (Cork), M. McCarthy (Kerry); C. Mullane (Limerick), S. Lucey (do.), T. Ó Sé (Kerry); N. Murphy (Cork), J. Stokes (Limerick); S. Kelly (Limerick), M. Galvin (Do.), S. O’Sullivan (Kerry); C. Crowley (Cork), E. Brosnan (Kerry), M. Ó Croinín (Cork).