Ó hAilpín brothers in for Munster clash

THE Munster hurling team to play Connacht in the semi-final of the Railway Cup at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick tomorrow includes the Ó hAilpín brothers, Seán Óg and Setanta.

Both are named in the same positions they occupied in the recent All-Ireland final with Cork. They are two of five players from the defeated finalists included on the starting 15.

Kerry's Shane Brick is named at full-forward while his brother Ian is among the subs.

Connacht manager Conor Hayes will be without a number of key players, but his all-Galway side still has an experienced look about it.

Liam Hodgins, who is injured and the Portumna duo Damien Hayes and Ollie Canning plus Loughrea's Brian Mahony, who are all involved in the Galway county final on the following weekend, are notable absentees, but prolific forward Eugene Cloonan makes a welcome return to action after a lengthy injury lay-off.

The Athenry star missed much of the past season through a combination of back injuries and a suspension after he was sent off against Birr in the All-Ireland Club's semi-final last February, but he showed that he has lost none of his trademark sharpness in front of goal when scoring 11 points against Portumna in the county quarter-final recently.

There are senior debuts for ex-minor stars Adrian Cullinane (Craughwell) and Fergal Moore (Turloughmore), brother of established star Cathal, who will be among the substitutes.

Meath County Board are expected to wait until November before deciding on a football manager for 2004. Monday, November 3 has been earmarked as the date that club delegates will ratify the man that will take the hot seat for the Royals.

Seán Boylan and Eamonn Barry are the contestants in the two-horse race with Boylan who is seeking his 22nd year at the helm the favourite to be named.

Fremantle captain Peter Bell has withdrawn from the Australian squad for the International Rules series against Ireland next week.

Kangaroos midfielder Jess Sinclair comes into the squad. Bell, who was named as vice-captain of the side, was supposed to play for the Dockers against Collingwood in London last week, but was ruled out because of a groin injury.

And after talking to Australian coach Garry Lyon upon his return, it was considered unwise for him to play in the two-match series against the Irish, which starts at a sold-out Subiaco next Friday, with another clash in Melbourne seven days later.

The Australian squad meets in the Western Australian regional town of Bunbury this weekend to begin preparations for the clash against Ireland.

MUNSTER: B. Cummins (Tipperary); T. Feeney (Waterford), D. O'Sullivan (Cork), D. Reale (Limerick); E. Corcoran (Tipperary), R. Curran (Cork), S. Óg Ó hAilpín (do.); C. Lynch (Clare), O. Moran (Limerick); T. Griffin (Clare), C. Gleeson (Tipperary), B. O'Connor (Cork); S. Ó hAilpín (Cork), S. Brick (Kerry), E. Kelly (Tipperary).

Subs. D. Óg Cusack (Cork), I. Brick (Kerry), B. Dunne (Tipperary), M. Foley (Limerick), J. Gardiner (Cork), P. Kelly (Tipperary), J. Mullane (Waterford), B. O'Meara (Tipperary), A. O'Shaughnessy (Limerick), J. Quinn (Clare), TJ Ryan (Limerick), M. Slattery (Kerry).

CONNACHT (all Galway): L. Donoghue; D. Joyce, D. Cloonan, F. Moore; F. Healy, T. Óg Regan, D. Tierney; A. Cullinane, J. Conroy; A. Kerins, M. Kerins, K. Broderick; D. Forde, E. Cloonan, K. Burke.

Munster Club SHC fixtures: Sunday, October 26: Clarecastle (Clare) v Patrickswell (Limerick) at Ennis, 3 p.m. (J. McDonnell, Tipperary).

Toomevara (Tipperary) v Kilmoyley (Kerry) at Thurles, 3 p.m. (D. Richardson, Limerick).