U21 star Hanley set for Galway debut in final

U21 star Finian Hanley and former victorious captain Padraig Joyce have been given starting places in the Galway side to meet Mayo in the Bank of Ireland Connacht SFC final at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

The inclusion of Hanley at full-back and Joyce at full-forward results in no fewer than seven positional changes from the side that defeated Leitrim in the semi-final.

Alan Burke moves from left to right corner-back.

Kieran Fitzgerald, who lined out at full-back on the last occasion, now takes over the left corner-back position, with Val Feeney dropping down to the substitutes’ bench.

Paul Clancy switches from right half-forward to centre-back, with David Burke manning the left half-back berth.

The midfield pairing of Barry Cullinane and Niall Coleman remains unchanged, but Derek Savage is transferred out to the right half-forward position from full-forward, with Joyce now taking up that role, while Kieran Comer comes in at left corner-forward to the exclusion of youngster Sean Armstrong, who is recovering from injury.

This eagerly-awaited western provincial showdown between the arch-rivals marks the senior debut of Hanley, while Joyce, recovering from an ankle injury, came on as a substitute against Leitrim.

Mark Foley returns after injury to the Limerick team for their All-Ireland SHC qualifier against Galway at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday night.

Foley takes over his now customary left corner-back position and his reintroduction is just one of several changes manager Joe McKenna has made from the side that defeated Laois last weekend.

Adare’s Michael Clifford comes in at right corner-back for Damien Reale, who suffered ankle ligament damage in last Friday’s win over the O’Moore County.

Foley’s return sees Paudie O’Dwyer now moving to right half-back with Ollie Moran taking over the centre-forward position and Peter Lawlor replacing Kevin Tobin at left half-back.

Niall Moran switches from centre-forward to left half-forward, with Andrew O’Shaughnessy changing wings to the detriment of Conor Fitzgerald.

Patrick Kirby takes over at top of the left from Donnacha Sheehan.

Former Allstar Eddie Enright has been drafted into the Tipperary panel for the All-Ireland SHC quarter-final.

Enright last played for Tipp in the successful 2004 qualifier game against Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds when he broke a joint in his shoulder.

Enright resumed training with his club Sarsfields and returned against Boherlahan Dualla last month. He is expected to line out against Loughmore Castleiney in Sunday’s Mid-Tipperary SHC semi-final.

GALWAY (SFC v Mayo): B. Donoghue; A. Burke, F. Hanley, K. Fitzgerald; D. Meehan, P. Clancy, D. Burke; B. Cullinane, N. Coleman; D. Savage, M. Donnellan, M. Clancy; K. Comer, P. Joyce, M. Meehan.

LIMERICK (SHC v Galway): T. Houlihan; M. Clifford, S. Lucey, M. Foley; P. O’Dwyer, B. Geary, P. Lawlor; D. O’Grady, P. O’Grady; A. O’Shaughnessy, O. Moran, N. Moran; D. Ryan, T. J. Ryan, P. Kirby.